Plentitude
by bendermom
Summary: Book #4 in this series. The Doctor (TenTwo) and Rose visit the planet of Plentitude and find some trouble, while Pete handles things back on Earth. A continuation of Perchance to Dream. Some familiar characters from this series and some new ones! Drama, romance, humor, sex, football, and some adventure!
1. Chapter 1 - In the Med Bay

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Please note. This is a continuation of the story titled, "Perchance to Dream." Please read it first, or you are going to be lost. "Perchance to Dream" is book 3 of this series that spun off of TheDoctorMulder's brilliant story, "Starting Over" (or branch off of chapter 28 of that story.) I encourage you to start there if you have just found this story. Get up to speed. J

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Chapter 1 - In the Med Bay

Rose walked out of room inside the med bay and closed the door behind her. The hallway had ten rooms that could be used for patients. She was grateful for the privacy as she finally found some relief by taking the Doctor's advice and pumped the excess milk out of her breasts. As she walked down the hall, she looked in on the room Logan was in. He lay in a bed with a familiar oxygen tube running under his nose. Legate and Lance were there with him, laughing and telling stories.

"How are you feeling, Logan?" Rose asked him.

He smiled at her. "I'll be alright, ma'am. Doc's making me stay in here for a while just to be sure. He says I have Pressure Poisoning. Was that it?"

Legate nodded his head. "Something like that. Your body just has to level itself out. You pressurized really quickly and depressurized even quicker. You're lucky you were here on this ship. I don't think they can do anything about this on Earth. But, Doc' will have you fixed right up."

Rose smiled at him. "Oh, I have no doubt. Do you need anything?"

Logan smiled back at her and shook his head. "Thank you, ma'am. I'm alright."

Legate teased him. "I'm sure you are about ready for that drink now, aren't you?"

Logan leaned back and laughed. "I'm ready for two!"

Rose laughed at them as she walked further down the hallway. She found the Doctor in the large, main room. He was sitting in a big chair with Genie on his lap. She was reading him a small book. Rose leaned in the doorway and smiled at the scene. Whenever Genie would get the word wrong, The Doctor would bite her ear gently and then whisper the word. She could barely read a sentence because she was laughing so hard. Rose suspected she was reading the words wrong on purpose as part of their little game.

Rose smiled at them. "Now, Genie. You can read better than that. I believe you are just being silly."

Genie laughed as she jumped down from his lap. "I'm going to go read to Logan and make him feel better."

The Doctor smiled at her. "Go ahead. He might like that."

Rose walked over to him as he stood up and patted the seat of the chair, "There you are, my dear. Have a seat."

Rose sat down and sighed. He stood up at the counter in front of her. He was busy mixing some sort of liquids together and putting the medicines into small injectors like he had made Rose. She watched him as he as he made one, and then another.

"How did it go?" he asked her.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm more comfortable now. I'm still as big. But, feel less….." She stressed the word, "endowed."

He laughed quietly at her. He looked over at her and shook his head. "I apologize. I shouldn't laugh at that."

Rose was giggling. "It's alright. How is Logan?"

"He'll be fine. He just got a bit, compressed. He just needs to relax for a bit. I'll let him go in about ten minutes. Everything looks fine."

Rose watched him putting together the injector. He looked around to find a marker and wrote something on it. He turned around and looked at Rose as he blew the ink dry. "Primitive writing utensils. I'm just about over that. Remind me to pick up something decent this week."

Rose smiled at his annoyance. "The things you never think about."

He looked back at her and smiled. "So, dinner? Are we still on for that?"

Rose smiled, "I'll need to get ready. I'd like to change and appear as if I made an effort. Maybe give Sam a feed before we go. Where is he?"

The Doctor pointed behind her. "I put him over there in the cot. He likes looking at the lights on the monitors. We need to probably pick him up something else to lie in while we're there. It will give your back a rest and free up my hands."

Rose smiled. "Too bad we don't have one of those things you lay the baby in and it swings them. Tony had one of those and slept in it all the time."

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah. I don't like those. They are too high from the ground. He might fall out and get hurt."

Rose couldn't believe his words. "He's going to get hurt."

"Not on a goofy thing like that he won't. We can find one closer to the floor and I'll be alright with it. But, not like the ones I've seen. It looks like a ride at Disneyworld."

Rose teased him, "They have seatbelts in them."

"And you don't question why?" He asked her.

She closed her eyes tightly and smiled. "Okay. You make a good point."

He looked seriously at her. "I know I do. I know what I'm talking about. Where did you put….umm…. what you pumped?"

"The small cooler in there. Why?" Rose asked.

He cleaned up where he had been mixing the medicine together and made some notes. "I figure I'll make up a few bottles with it. Let Arla use it while we are gone if he gets hungry. I'll handle that while you are getting ready."

"When will we be there?" Rose asked him.

"We are in orbit now. Been here about six minutes. Gobbo just told me." He turned to her and smiled like a loon. "What would you like to eat?"

She laughed in disbelief. "I have no idea what's here. You know what I like."

"I know what you need. Lots of greasy chips and beer to make your muscles relax. Why are you so tense? You seem worried about something. Have I done something?"

Rose became serious and shook her head. "I need to go get read-"

"Deflecting! What have I done? I'll have to have a think on this. What could you have figured out that I need to confess to?"

He could sense Rose's fear and worry. He turned to her and winked. "You know I'm just kidding. Really. What's going on?"

Rose sighed, "We'll talk about it later. It's not you."

He looked surprised at her. "Really? Cause I can think of a few things." His face broke into a huge smile.

Rose pointed at him. "You better be joking." She turned around and started to walk away from him.

He mumbled loud enough for her to hear him, "That bank I robbed. Those people I kidnapped. There was that woman in Northern Ireland, I think she was a princess….."

She stopped in the doorway. "Oh, shut up."

He laughed at her.

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	2. Chapter 2 - Shopping

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Chapter 2 - Shopping

Rose and The Doctor transported down to the planet's surface. It was evening. They appeared on a platform near a boardwalk that lay next to a river. The river had a large fountain in the center that sprayed water high into the air. Multicolored lights illuminated the area.

The large city lay directly in front of them. Rose could see tall buildings lit up in front of her. One was in the shape of an oval that seemed to arch across its footprint on the ground. In the sky above, there were many flying vehicles of various shapes and sizes. The air was warm and humid. It seemed to have just rained moments before they had arrived.

The Doctor held Rose's hand and he lead her off of the platform. She was wearing a cute pink shirt which came above her knees and a lacey white top. She wore her hair down and pushed it to the side of her shoulder. Much to The Doctor's insistence, she was also wearing some pink low top trainers he had purchased for her back in London months ago. She hadn't worn them yet because she had been on bed rest for so long and simply hadn't had the opportunity.

The Doctor was wearing a pair of his familiar jeans, and a t-shirt he had gotten from a concert he had attended with Tony Stark months ago. They walked on the large footpath towards the city.

He could feel Rose's excitement. She hugged his arm as she looked around. "Oh, this is better than I thought it would be! Wow! Is this a park?"

He smiled at her, "It's an arrival park. For people who need to transport down. It gives you a safe place to land where you won't bump into anyone."

"You can't just transport anywhere? That's how they do on the telly."

The Doctor groaned as he rolled his eyes. "Oh, the mad telly rarely gets it right. Imagine how rude that would be just to pop in the middle of a hallway in a shopping area. Or how risky it would be in a restaurant if people decided not to pay the bill and just transported away. I mean, geez. Reality is, you can't just transport anywhere. They have scramblers that prevent the signal from forming in certain places. Make sense?"

Rose giggled, "I've never thought about that. It does make sense."

He smiled back at her. "Out on our own. Isn't this nice?"

He could feel she was so happy she was about to burst. "This is amazing! I'm so happy to be anywhere! But, to be here? Alone? With you? Oh, this is the best. Thank you."

He stopped, took both of her hands in his and smiled at her. "No need to thank me. I'm sorry I haven't brought you someplace like this before."

People of different species walked around nearby them. Rose looked at them. She looked back at him, "This is so much better than Platform One."

He smiled as he put his hand on her cheek. He leaned down and kissed her proper. He smiled as he quietly told her. "Yeah, I really question why I took you there. Temporary insanity?"

Rose raised her eyebrows at him, "Temporary?"

Rose laughed as they turned and started to walk towards the city again. Rose was hugging his arm as he slipped his hand in his pocket as they strolled along.

"Is this where you took Dad?"

He shook his head. "We never made it over here. But, I thought you would like to see it this way. Walking in the park towards the city. It is lovely."

Rose laughed, "Oh, it is! Wow!"

"And the best part is….." He pointed in the sky. "No, Zeppelins! Man, I hate Zeppelins!"

Rose laughed at him. "Finally decided you are going to hate them, huh?"

He grumbled. "Oh, that's been coming on for a long while. I just hate them. Can't even help it. Can't even explain it."

Rose smiled at him.

He pointed at the buildings in front of them. "That is a large shopping center. There's a restaurant I'd like to take you to up in one of these tall buildings. Which would you like to do first?"

"Well, we probably need to shop first. Before everything closes." Rose reasoned.

"Phhh…. Shopping doesn't close here. I've always found that strange of Earth. They are one of the few planets that do that."

Rose was surprised. "Really? When do the workers go home and rest?"

"They change out workers five different times a day! The day here is a bit longer than Earth's. So, don't worry about that. Shopping? Or eating, first?"

Rose couldn't deny her surprise at him offering to take her shopping. "Do you want to go shopping? I remember when I had to take you shopping for clothes. You hated it."

He groaned, "I did. Because I knew what was available there. Ugh, I want to pick up some stuff here. More comfortable, breathable fabrics that are sewn together in the right places. I'm definitely getting me some more pants tonight! I can't take those from Earth one more minute."

Rose could feel his enthusiasm. She laughed at him. "You are such a girl, sometimes."

He laughed, "Oh, I love a little shop. So, shopping first?"

"Sure. Lead away."

He nodded his head. "Yes, ma'am!"

They walked a bit more until they reached the grand entry way of a building. The large glass doors slid open as they walked inside. The first thing Rose saw was an octopus looking creature sitting at a round desk. She smiled and covered her mouth in surprise. He looked at her and smiled. "Pete was surprised by this, too."

He walked over to the creature and spoke a strange language to her. Rose thought that she smiled as she explained something to The Doctor. He rubbed his beard and took out his wallet to show her something. She nodded her head and gave him a piece of plastic and a small, blue box about as large as a cigarette lighter. He slipped it into his pocket and seemed to thank her. He led Rose away from the desk as they walked over to the side of the hallway.

Rose could see just beyond them were floors and floors of stories with little shops everywhere. People floated, and some flew, up the center of the circular huge room. Little shops were everywhere you looked. Rose wished she had three more sets of eyes. There were so many things to see.

He showed her the bit of plastic. "Okay, this is a map. This place is absolutely huge, but we can get everything we need here. We won't try to go everywhere tonight. I know you said you were sore, so tell me if it gets too bad. I've mixed up some medicine you can use to help with that while we are here. And remember, we're here all week and we can come back before we leave. I have a transport pod for the entire time now, so we don't have to worry about carrying anything that's too big."

"Wait. What?" Rose asked him.

"Well, we talked about getting something for Sam to sleep in. I'm not going to carry that around. I also want to look at some big items that I need for the ship that will be impossible to carry back. Places like this, you reserve a pod that the shops put all of your stuff in, then you transport it back up to the cargo hold of your ship. Makes you get more stuff. It's all part of their evil plan to make you get more stuff." He teased her.

Rose laughed at him. "Right. I'm sure."

He looked at the map. "Let's look for Sam's stuff, first. But, if you see anyplace you want to pop into, we can. Alright?"

Rose smiled as she took his hand. "Sounds fine."

They found all sorts of things for Sam in the little shop they went into. They ended up getting him a small, oval cot that he could lay in while it vibrated and pulsed like he was still inside of the womb. They also found all sorts of clothes and nappies that looked to be more comfortable than the ones they had from Earth. The Doctor also grabbed several teething toys to save his finger from Sam's teeth once they started to come in. "You won't let me get him a stick." He teased.

Rose shook her head. "You know, we can get some of this stuff back home-"

"Nah, let's just get it here. That way we won't have to worry with it later. We've really not gotten anything for him. Just the bare basics."

Rose smiled, "I suppose we were just too scared?"

He smiled back at her. "I suppose so. I know what we need to get for him. Something with lights. He loves looking at lights." The Doctor turned and spoke to the sales clerk in another language that Rose didn't recognize. She smiled at him and led them over to an area that had a lot of round, fluffy, stuffed balls in it. The Doctor seemed thrilled to see them. "This is what we need! Look at this, Rose. It's a light you put in the baby's crib. It will display all around the room. But, it also is an alarm if the baby stops breathing or needs your attention. These things are loud as hell." He handed it to the clerk and smiled.

"We're both joined to him. We'd know if something was wrong." Rose reasoned.

He shook his head, "Yeah, but we're not always the one with him. Yes! This is what we need." He said as he tossed it in the air and caught it.

Rose smiled at him. "I'm surprised you are finding this so enjoyable."

"Stuff that we need, that I feel will be safe. Not like the madness they sell back on Earth." He told her.

They visited several other shops. Rose giggled at him as he picked up ten bags of pants in various colors. "Comfort will be mine at last." He teased her.

"Seriously? You need that many? That's like a hundred pair!" Rose teased him.

He shook his head. "Nah, only seventy. Lewis asked me to get him some. Turns out he prefers these, too."

They visited a sweets shop next. Rose was reminded of elves from the North Pole as they watched the tiny creatures bustle around the kitchen as they made the sweets in front of the crowd that had gathered. All sorts of odd things that were brightly colored and smelled absolutely delicious were in cases all throughout the shop. Rose wasn't surprised when The Doctor got several boxes of things, but also took a small bag of multicolored sweets. "I'm going to have them put the boxes in our pod, but these we'll eat before dinner. Here have some. You'll like these."

Rose took a sweet and popped in her mouth. "It takes like a cherry jelly bean."

He smiled at her. "Count to five. Now, tell me what it tastes like."

Rose thought as she rolled the hard sweet around in her mouth. "Okay, this is weird. It's like a pineapple now. Hang on. Now it's a mint."

He popped one in his mouth and smiled. "These are so good. They change every few seconds. So, it's like a different sweet."

Rose saw a shop she was interested in that had clothing. They went inside and she found several things she liked. He sat down in a chair and let her shop while he ate the sweets they had just got.

"You are going to spoil your dinner." She fussed at him as he popped another sweet in his mouth and smiled.

"Maybe this is my dinner, mum." He teased her.

She smiled back at him. "I wish I could try some of these on. I don't know how it would fit on me."

He rubbed his beard. "Let me get you some help. I'm sure there is a room for that." He snapped his fingers and a small, grey woman, with glasses on the end of her very long nose appeared next to The Doctor. She smiled and bowed.

"How may I help you, sir?" she asked.

Rose was surprised. "She speaks English?"

The Doctor smiled and shook his head. "No. She has a universal translator on her someplace." He looked at the woman. "Madam. My wife would like to try on these clothes to see if they fit her properly. Is there a place where we can do that?"

The woman bowed to Rose, "Certainly. Please. Both of you, come this way."

She took the clothes from Rose and led them to the dressing room. Rose noticed the woman's feet moved extremely fast for no faster than she walked. She pointed at her legs as they walked behind her. The Doctor grabbed her hand and smiled at her. _'Now. Think of what you must look like to her.'_

The woman opened the door to a room that was ten times larger than any dressing room Rose had ever seen in her life. There were mirrors inside and two chairs. The lady walked in and hung up the clothes for Rose. She then turned and smiled at her and offered her hands out. "I am happy to assist you."

The Doctor shook his head. "It's alright. I'll be able to do that. Thank you."

The woman smiled and bowed her head. "Please let me know if you need anything else, Doctor Smith." She closed the door as she stepped out.

Rose turned around and looked surprised. "Okay, I've never had anyone offer to assist me in getting dressed before. Really?"

He smiled like a loon at her. "And lucky I'm here to help!"

Rose shook her head. "Seriously, I'm a grown woman. I can dress myself. Is this really a problem in the galaxy?"

"It's a culture thing with some people. People of certain social standing never dress themselves. She sees my identification and assumes we are people like that."

Rose pointed at him, "She called you Doctor Smith. How does she know who you are?"

He sighed, "I got a pod. It notifies the store who we are when we enter."

Rose shook her head as she unfastened her skirt. He quickly walked over and helped her take it off. "That's just odd. A bit like Big Brother."

"Oh, geez. Just don't even worry about it. I'm sure it's another marketing ploy at work here." He helped her take off her shirt. He stepped back and ran his eyes up and down her body as he rubbed his beard.

Rose smiled at him. "Are you going to help me get dressed?"

"Oh, so close to the perfect sentence." He complained as he took a dress and helped Rose into it. She turned to look in the mirror. She noticed him looking at her again. She could sense what he was feeling.

She turned around and pointed at the chair in the corner. "You. Go over there and sit. I'm trying on clothes. Not doing that at the moment."

He smiled as he sat down in the chair and popped another sweet in his mouth. "At the moment! That sounds promising."

Rose shook her head as she turned to look back in the mirror in front of her. "This is alright. What do you think?"

He didn't say anything. She could feel his happiness turn into surprise, anger and disappointment. She turned around to look at him. He seemed to be daydreaming with a harsh look on his face. Rose walked over to him as he continued to wear the odd look on his face. She knelt down in front of him, "What's wrong?"

He looked at her as if he had just noticed she was there. He shook his head. "Ummm. I just found out something. I'm trying to decide if I want to be angry about it not."

Rose became immediately nervous. Had he found out what she had done? He looked at her. "Now, you are all nervous. I'm sorry. Ugh." He took her hand and kissed it. "Don't worry about this. We'll talk about later. I don't want it to spoil our night. Go back and try on your clothes. It's alright."

Rose stood up and walked back to the mirror. She turned around and looked at him. He looked at her and laughed, "What is it? You are so damn tense lately. Do you think I'm one of the children who need to be worried about?"

Rose smiled at him as she shook her head. "Of course I do. You will always be the one that needs the most supervision in this family."

He relaxed as he stretched out his legs as he popped more of the sweets in his mouth. "Yep. I'm the biggest liability round here, for sure."

She took off her dress and handed it to him to put back on the hanger. He enjoyed watching her put back on another dress as she turned around and modeled it for him.

He smiled as he rubbed his chin. "I like that one! Yes. That's a keeper."

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	3. Chapter 3 – Lobster Lies

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Chapter 3 – Lobster Lies

Rose had lost track at the things they had purchased. It seemed like every shop they had went into had yielded another few surprises for them both. The Doctor was thrilled when he found some writing utensils he approved of. Rose wasn't sure how many of them he purchased, but he turned to her and smiled, "That should do for a while!"

They also went to a shop that had the oddest looking play system toys that Rose had ever seen. "It's playground equipment, but for star ships. Perfect to burn off some the children's energy. Well, and adults' energy as well." Rose wasn't sure what he had gotten from there, but he seemed to be interested in three different systems as he spoke to the salesman.

One in particular had a three story tower with a slide. "Oh, Rose! The children would love that. What do you think?"

Rose had her eye on a large trampoline with a net that ran across the center. "Did you see that over there?"

He looked at it and then back at her in surprise. "For the children? They will break their necks on that. Absolutely, not."

"And they aren't going to break their necks on this damn three story slide?"

"It's a tube until they pop out at the end! I've never met a kid that fall out of a tube like that. Yes! We can get that! We'll just have to keep Summus out of it so he doesn't get stuck." He laughed.

He also grabbed another handful of laser nets while he was there. "This is where I got these. They also have laser slides, ladders and sidewalks. I should probably get those, too. You never know when you might need that. He handed everything up to the clerk who nodded and suggested something else. The Doctor looked surprised at his words. He nodded as the clerk tossed another handful of something in a bag for him.

They visited a toy store which was nearly overwhelming to them both.

Rose observed. "Geez. You'd have to come in there ten times just to see everything."

Any toy you could imagine and toys you had never thought of were piled to the ceiling on shelves in that shop. Rose had no idea what most of it even was. She would point to something and ask the Doctor who would sometimes simply shake his head to tell her he wouldn't allow the children to have it.

"You are such an overprotective father! I never knew this about you." Rose told him.

He was busy looking at something on the shelves. "Ah. I've been called worse. I consider myself a reasonable man."

Rose laughed as she looked at something else on the shelves. "Oh, this looks cool!" It was a horse, brightly colored that was about half the size of a full size horse.

He looked at what had caught Rose's attention. "Oh hell! That is really cool! I wonder how many they have?"

He pulled the box out and looked at it. "See, Rose. It has a levitation device inside of it. The children could really ride this. It floats across the floor."

"Really? You would let them have it?" Rose asked.

"Sure! I'd get all of the adults one, too. But, we are all too big. Alright. Three of these for sure."

After they finished getting toys for the children, they decided it was time to go eat dinner. They left the shopping area and walked outside about a block away. They entered in through a door that was held open for them by doormen. The Doctor held Rose's hand as they walked to a lift and he pressed a button to take them upstairs. They were the only two on the lift. Rose smiled at him.

"Hey, you." She said to him.

He smiled as he looked at her, "Hello." He laid his hand on her cheek and they kissed all the way to the restaurant's floor. The familiar ding told them they had arrived and the doors opened just as they broke apart.

"Woo!" The Doctor exclaimed as they stepped off of the lift. "Nice appetizer."

Rose smiled at him. They held hands as they walked up to the young, green lady who was standing in a doorway, behind a podium and large book. She smiled up at The Doctor and Rose. "Good evening."

The Doctor smiled back at her. "We have reservations. Doctor Smith."

Her eyes lit up. "Oh, yes! I have you here. The hospital Director is here as well and asked to see you when you got here."

Rose felt his annoyance, but he surprisingly never showed it. "That's fine. Please, let them know we've arrived."

He looked back at Rose and rolled his eyes. She smiled at him. "So much for no one knowing you, huh?"

He sighed as a waitress came and showed them to their table. It couldn't have been in a better place. It sat on a balcony, overlooking the city. The view was stunning. Plants grew around the sides of the walls and across the balcony's railing. A small, round table with four chairs sat around the table. The Doctor held out a chair for Rose and she sat down, thanking him.

"Would you like me to sit across the table? Or what?" He asked her.

Rose patted the seat next to her. "That's so far away. Can you sit next to me?"

He smiled as he sat down. "Sure, Rose."

Some sort of beautiful, red flower sat in the middle in a vase. The Doctor picked it up and smiled at it. "This is a what a rose is where I'm from. Well, the closest thing probably to it. It doesn't look like a rose from Earth. This is it."

Rose smiled at the flower. "It's like Susan is saying hello to you. Do you ever think of things like that?"

He bit his bottom lip and nodded his head. "Yeah. You know, it's strange. Since my concussion, I've dreamed of her."

"You've only slept for two nights since. Did you dream of her both nights?"

He nodded his head. "Yes. It's strange. I normally don't."

Rose looked concerned at him as he looked at the menu. The waiter poured them both water. "Doctor Smith. Would you and your guest like some wine?"

The Doctor didn't look up from the menu. "This is my wife. Champagne, please. We're celebrating tonight. Start us with one bottle but put two more on ice."

The waiter nodded his head as he walked away. "Very good, sir."

Rose smiled at him as he took her hand and kissed it. "What are we celebrating?"

He smiled at her. "You. Me. Being out someplace like we used to be able to go out together without damn bodyguards. No children. And other reasons."

Rose sipped the water and looked at him. "Sam being alright. Me finally being off bedrest. Our first trip into space together in this dimension."

He smiled as he leaned into her. "Keep going."

Rose looked curiously at him. "Ummm… you haven't killed Jack. I suppose we should celebrate that."

"Ah, I still might. What else?"

Rose thought, "You buying one of everything at the shops?"

He pointed at her seriously, "That was part of the celebration. Well, sortof. What else?"

Rose studied on it some more. But, before she could answer, a man walked up to their table. He looked human. He wore an outfit that almost looked like a suit from Earth. It was all black, without a tie and collar.

"Doctor Smith, sir. Good evening. I'm so pleased to see you." The Doctor stood to shake his hand. The man was accompanied by a young man in long, purple robes with blond hair and three men that were unmistakably dressed up as soldiers or bodyguards. Rose couldn't tell which.

The Doctor turned and held his hand out to Rose. "This is my wife, Rose."

The two men bowed to Rose and smiled. The Doctor invited them to sit at the table. The three soldiers stood a few steps away.

The man in the suit smiled at Rose. "Your wife is beautiful, Doctor Smith. I understand why you said you couldn't leave Earth. Are all women from there this lovely?"

The Doctor looked back at Rose and smiled. "No. She's a gem. Rose this is the Director of the hospital, Tuwo Wenck. I'm sorry, I'm not sure who this is."

Tuwo looked back at his robed companion. "I apologize. This is a member of the Andromedaen Royal family, Prince Foetist."

The Doctor bowed his head. "Your majesty. I'm honored you have came to speak to us tonight. I understand it's a member of your family who has been injured."

Prince Foetist waved his hand. "No need for formalities. I'm here on holiday. My sister is the one who was injured. She was involved in a fall. She was ill and tried to walk down the stairway of our grand home. She seems unable to get well since the fall, plus she has memory gaps. Tuwo Wenck suggested we have you come out to see her. We appreciate you making the journey."

The Doctor shook his head. "It is my pleasure. I hope I can help her. When will they be arriving?"

Prince Foetist nodded his head. "They are just arriving here now. They are checking her into the hospital."

Tuwo Wenck held his hand out to reassure the Doctor. "But, we're moving her to the rehabilitation section like you asked as soon as we can."

The Doctor held Rose's hand as she laid her hand in his lap.

"Don't worry about that. If she's ill, she probably needs to remain in the hospital until we determine what she's infected with. I don't want to spread it. When will I be able to see her?"

Tuwo Wenck looked back at Prince Foetist. "As early as the morning. Her parents are with her."

The Doctor nodded his head. "That's good."

Prince Foetist crossed his arms. "Forgive me. I'm very curious about you. Are you human?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No."

"But she is, right?"

The Doctor looked at Rose. "Yes, she is."

"She's your only wife?" Prince Foetist asked.

Rose covered her mouth to keep from laughing.

The Doctor smiled, "Yes. It's custom there to only have one."

The Prince nodded his head in understanding. "You are both very much in love. I can smell the –"

"Uph! You can stop right there." The Doctor held up his hand.

Rose was laughing silently behind her covered mouth. The Doctor looked back at her and shook his head as he smiled.

Prince Foetist covered his face and smiled. "My apologies. Do you have any children?"

The Doctor sighed. "Yes. They are with the Guard. We have Quauhtin in our service."

Prince Foetist's eyes lit up. "You have Quauhtin? So do we! That's all my father would ever allow around my sister and I. They are like members of our family now. Yours?"

The Doctor smiled and shook his head. "We named our son after one of the Guard."

The Prince looked impressed. "Well, that certainly settles that."

The Doctor looked confused, "Settles what?"

Prince Foetist spoke, "My father asked me to come see you tonight to see what I thought."

The Doctor's face broke into a smile, "And what do you plan to tell him?"

The Prince looked him up and down. "Family man. Only one wife. Quauhtin. You can't be too bad."

The Doctor looked at Rose and smiled. "Well, that's fair. We've only just met."

Tuwo asked Rose. "Have you ever visited Plentitude, ma'am?"

Rose smiled, "No. This is my first time here. It's a beautiful place."

The Doctor looked back at the Prince. "Can you tell me, do you know a Quauhtin named ….ummm…Lucio?"

The Prince sat up straighter in his chair. "You know Licio?"

The Doctor smiled, "He's known by a couple of friends of mine."

"He doesn't owe them money does he?"

They all laughed.

Tuwo smiled. "Indeed. Well, we've taken enough of your time. Excuse us, Doctor Smith. Rose, ma'am. We're all so happy you are both here. Please enjoy your stay. Doctor Smith, we'll see you in the morning."

They stood up and bowed as they all left. The Doctor sat back down just as the waiter brought over the champagne and two glasses. He opened it and the cork shot off of the balcony into the city.

Rose laughed quietly, "I really hope that didn't hit some poor person in the head."

The Doctor laughed at Rose's words. "Okay, back to our conversation. What are we celebrating tonight?"

The waiter poured their glasses full, then smiled as he excused himself.

The Doctor picked up his glass and looked at Rose. "What else are we celebrating? Come on. Surely you know."

Rose held her glass and laughed. "Your first patient?"

"Phhhh….Pete was my first patient. Well, unless we count you. No. You're messing with me aren't you?"

Rose looked at him, curiously. "What are you on about?"

He sat the glass back down on the table, not taking a drink. He sat back dramatically. "Oh the gods, I thought I was the worst at this. Rose Tyler! You are terrible!"

"Oh geez. Just tell me." Rose insisted.

He held up his hand. "Hang on. I'm sorry. Just a bit."

Rose sipped her water as she watched him listen to something in his head. He grumbled and ran his hands through his hair. "Ugh! Anyway. Sorry about that. I'm all yours. What were we talking about?"

"What was that? Genie alright?" Rose asked him.

"Yeah. She's fine. She's playing Candyland with Legate and Logan." He told her.

"You looked like you were being told something. Quauhtin police scanner, again?" Rose teased him.

"Yes. I'll tell you about that later. I don't want to talk about it right now. It will completely spoil our night that we're celebrating. Damn it, woman! What is it?"

Rose leaned her head back and groaned. "Okay. Let me think."

He smiled at her like a loon. "You're going to get this. I know you will. Surely you will."

Rose looked at him and guessed. "You have a football match you are excited about?"

He slapped the table in disbelief. "Are you serious?" He laughed and exclaimed something in Gallifreyan.

Rose shook her head and smiled. "Okay. I'm clueless. What is it?"

He got serious and held up his finger. "Alright. Fine. I'll tell you. You are so ridiculous. I can't believe you, woman."

He held up his glass to make a toast. He motioned for her to hold hers up. "To my beautiful wife. May the universe be kind and give us many, many years together. To the first six months. Happy anniversary." He drank as he watched her reaction.

She looked at him in disbelief as she drank the champagne. "It's not our anniversary. I didn't miss it."

He laughed at her. "Do you even know when we got married?"

"Of course I know when. You got here on March 28th, then we married….." She realized and looked up at him. She realized as she covered her face and laughed. "My God. I can't believe I missed that! Seriously?"

He laughed as he sipped his champagne. "In fairness, I realized it last night. I nearly forgot it myself."

Rose sighed. "I can't even believe that! Geez. Have we been that distracted?"

He held his hand up again. "I'm sorry. Just a second."

Rose shook her head as she sipped her champagne. He finished and groaned. "I'm so sorry about that. Ugh! Not going to think about it. I'm all yours." He held his hands out to steady himself. "You have my full attention. It won't happen again. So sorry."

"What's going on? You have your shields up. I can't tell exactly, but you seem pissed."

He shook his head. "I'm not. I'm deciding if I want to be or not. Ugh. Just. Ugh. Not talking about it. Damn it."

The waiter returned. The Doctor looked at Rose. "Please just order me something. I have no idea what any of this stuff is." She told him.

He chuckled as he ordered something from both. The waiter smiled. "Excellent choice, Doctor Smith." And he walked away.

Rose nodded. "Okay. First question. Some of these people look human. Are they?"

He sipped his champagne and shook his head. "No. Most species in the universe look like us. They are all from different places. You didn't notice the waiter's ears have gills?"

Rose looked surprised at him. "No, I didn't. And they all are speaking English here."

"This is a nice place. They all wear universal translators so people can be understood." He explained.

He refilled his glass and drank the entire thing. Then refilled hers and his again.

Rose drank. "There are so many things I want to talk to you about."

"Before you start, Sam is about to go to sleep. Lewis just told me. He's completely fine."

Rose remembered. "Yes! Sam! He has a GPS? He doesn't have teeth. Where did you put it?"

He leaned back and sighed. "Oh…. You probably won't like this. I'm about to get yelled at. All hopes of dessert diminished."

Rose looked at him. "Seriously. Tell me. What have you done?"

He ran his hand across the table. "I had to draw some blood, and test a few things. While I had him on the ship, I put the GPS in his arm. It's just here, below his shoulder. On the inside of his arm. Just under the skin. You can't feel it. It doesn't bother him."

Rose looked at him in shock. "Did it hurt?"

"He's my son, I wouldn't have hurt him. Really?" He looked offended.

Rose held her hand up. "Sorry. I didn't mean that."

"Mad woman. No. I numbed the area. He didn't feel anything. It doesn't bother him."

"Why? He's so little." she asked him.

He rubbed his beard and looked at her. "Sweetheart, I don't want to talk about this."

She took his hand. "I'm sorry, but I do. And I feel like this is one of those things I have the right to know."

He looked up at her and nodded his head. "Right. Okay. I kept having dreams. Sometimes those visions appear as dreams so I can't tell if it's a damn dream or not. I dreamed he was taken and I couldn't find him. Never saw him again. I couldn't sleep thinking about it. As soon as the ship got into orbit, and took him up and put the GPS in his arm. I ended up putting one in Genie's as well. Same place."

Rose could feel how uncomfortable he was talking about this. She shook her head. "There's more to this-"

He shook his head. "No, there's really not. It's a simple case this time. And you can be cross with me if you like. I'd do it again. It needed to be done. I want to do it to Tony and Jacob."

"Well, I think you should!" Rose told him.

He looked back at her in surprise. "Wait. Okay, so you are okay with this?"

Rose nodded her head. "These are your children, and you are protecting them. I'd be crazy to argue with you about this. Why didn't you tell me? Just be honest with me."

"I really had intended to tell you. I just hadn't gotten around to it."

"Like this thing with Logan. How the hell can you manage to find people that are okay with you being an alien in a place so terrified of them?" Rose demanded.

He smiled at her, "I put them under my alien spell." He laughed as he drank more of his champagne.

Rose gave him a mean look. "Start talking."

He shrugged his shoulders. "In everything that people fear, there is usually a minority who make themselves the loudest. It makes everyone think that the majority thinks that way, when in reality it's just not the case. Logan has played football with us for months. I knew he would be alright with it when he came to talk to me about joining Torchwood. He's not an idiot. He knew what went on there. He wanted to help people who needed it. No matter where they were from. He really surprised me with some of the things he said that day. The compassion that young man showed was remarkable. I couldn't stand the thought of him being a foot soldier when he genuinely seemed to care and wanted to make a difference."

"So, you wanted to train him yourself?"

"Logan reminds me of you. Back when we first met. He sees the best in everyone, no matter what. He cares. He puts himself last in nearly every situation and is just brilliant. He will be a hell of an agent. But, I want him to have firsthand experience with alien encounters. He's going to need it."

Rose could sense more. "Explain yourself. What are you on about? Why will he need it?"

He sighed and drank the rest of his champagne. "Another dream. Vision. I'm not sure which, but I saw a wedding. Logan was marrying our Genie. I'm not sure if that was a dream or what. But, if it's true, I need to properly bring him into this mad family."

Rose's mouth gaped open. "You are shitting me. He's-"

"Thirteen years older than her. Do you want to talk about the age gap between us?" He asked her.

Rose shook her head. "Let's not go there."

"Between Lewis and Arla. Wow. That's another one." He said quietly as he rubbed his beard.

"How old is Lewis?"

He smiled as he leaned back and crossed his arms. "That's an interesting question. I wonder how old you think Lewis is?"

Rose thought and shook her head. "Late 20s. Early 30s? Younger than you."

He shook his head as he laughed. "Everyone is younger than me. Oh! You mean younger than I look!"

Rose smiled teasingly at him. "Yes, that's what I meant."

"Cheeky. Wow. She's on a roll tonight. No, truth is, Quauhtin live for hundreds of years. Summus is 500 or something. I can't remember. He told me once, but I'm not going to bother him with that at the moment. He is a bit busy. Lewis and Lance are 218."

"Hang on. Are they twins?"

He smiled at her. "I found out last night that they are quadruplets. They have two more brothers."

Rose nearly spit out her champagne. "That must have been one hell of a party. Wow."

"Oh, the real party hasn't even happened yet. I've really got to talk to Lewis, tonight about something. I'm not sure how to approach him about it."

Rose sipped her champagne. "Can I help?"

He smiled as he refilled both of their glasses. Rose drank as he watched her and laughed silently.

Rose smiled at him. "You seem to approve whatever it is."

He rubbed his beard and continued to laugh. "Oh, I do. Let me explain myself later on that. Would that be alright? He really should hear it first."

Rose nodded her head and said, "Sure."

The waiter brought over their meal. It was several plates of strange things. Odd little bits in small bowls and a large platter that held what looked to be a lobster-like creature that was bright red. It was probably twice as big as any lobster that Rose had ever seen. The Doctor thanked the waiter and turned quickly to Rose.

"Alright. Let me explain this. This is tradition for people to eat this on their anniversary. Usually for your sixth anniversary because it has six legs. This is called a 'buehz', it's similar to a lobster from Earth. It nearly tastes the same. Interesting thing about this creature is: it cannot walk backwards, even though a lobster can. The reason you eat this to on your anniversary is to remind yourself and your partner, that you should look to the future. Our mistrust of the future often makes it very hard to give up the past. We are made from our past and what we have experienced, but we shouldn't be prisoners of it."

Rose became very nervous as he spoke. He looked up at her, "Okay, now you are tense again. What is that about?"

Rose sighed and shook her head. "Oh, please don't make me talk about this now. You will be properly pissed. I don't want to spoil this evening."

He sat back in the chair, "Why will I be pissed? What's going on?"

Rose closed her eyes tightly, "Oh, I shouldn't have said that, now….ugh-"

"Okay, wait on that. I'm not finished explaining this. It might help. There are six legs. Three for each of us. Symbolic of mistakes we made or ummm….secrets we have kept that we want to know about the other person or confess. What is said cannot be used against the other person. No one can get angry. No judgment. Nothing. It's completely void of any of the drama that surrounds the usual tension that comes with confessing something. So, I'm not saying you need to say anything…but there it is. Whatever has you so-"

"I cooked with your head." Rose admitted as she covered her face.

He looked confused. "I didn't get that. You did what?"

Rose took a deep breath and shook her head. Her eyes were closed tightly. He could feel how nervous she was at her own admission. He reached over and took her hand.

"Rose. What?" he asked.

She looked at his curious face. "You're going to be so angry with me."

He shook his head. "No, I really won't be. You are safe with me. What did you say?"

"I cooked with your head. Your concussion. I healed that, but-"

He leaned in closer to her. "But?"

"I also wanted to get rid of the PTSD. I'm worried I might have messed it up."

He looked surprised, "How did I miss that?"

"I blocked it. I didn't want you to know."

"You blocked it? Blocked what exactly?"

"The memory of me doing it. The part where I put you in a deep sleep and took it away."

"Where did you put it?"

"I dissolved it. It's in neither of our heads."

He sat back in complete shock. "Huh."

Rose covered her face, "See, and you're angry. I shouldn't have done it."

He took both of her hands in his and pulled them down from her face. "I'm not cross about this. Just help me understand. You did this while you were awake?"

Rose looked at his face and nodded that she did.

He raised his eyebrows. "You pushed me into a sleep? I don't remember that. When did you, how did you know how to do that?"

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "I honestly don't know. Apparently you show me how one day."

He was tongue tied and didn't know what to say next. He brought both of her hands up to his mouth and kissed them. Holding them both there for a few seconds while he thought.

"Sweetheart. Were you aware of what you were doing? You had control of this?"

Rose nodded her head. "Sortof. I think I just got angry. I can't really explain what I did. I was just so sick of you not telling me stuff. Especially something that would lead you to get shot! Who does that? You should have told me!"

He raised his hand in an effort to calm her. "Right. Right. We don't have to go through that again." He looked surprised. "Hang on. I do remember this now. My head was hurting and you made me lay on the bed. You, oh…. You mean woman! You made me think something completely different. Then you put my ass to sleep! Damn, that was a dirty trick!"

Rose looked seriously at him, "You deserved it."

He nodded his head. "Oh, I did. Worse than that." He rubbed his beard as he thought. "Wow. You can control that."

"Well, not really. I honestly don't feel like I could do it again. Do you think she's taking over more of me?" Rose asked him quietly.

He looked quickly up at her and kissed her hands again. "No, sweetheart. I think you just got really pissed at me and decided that you were going to have your way. Damn. I really wish you hadn't done that. I needed that."

Rose relaxed her tense posture and became serious. "Like hell you did! It's like you just said, you were a prisoner of your past. I do not agree that you needed it at all."

He rubbed his beard and shook his head. "Look. I explained why-"

"No, you didn't! You told me you wanted to keep it to keep from causing others pain. So you remembered how it felt. You remember how it felt, you do NOT need that. You can't help anyone carrying that around. It only will continue to hurt you. Look at what you have done in the past 24 hours. Would you have agreed to train Logan if it wasn't gone?"

He sighed, "That actually explains a great deal. Damn, how did I not see that? I mean, it's clearly missing! Now, I can tell. How did you do that?"

Rose shook her head. "I'm really not sure."

"If I asked you to do it now, how would you do it?" he asked her.

Rose thought for a moment. "I'd think of a balloon. Take it to that part of your brain and blow it up to keep anything else from being affected. Then, dissolve the pain that caused the problem. Not the problem, because that would be the memory. Then, I would keep the balloon there to block you from seeing what I had done."

"Did you see the memory of anything-"

Rose shook her head. "No. I didn't look in fear of what I would see. I know you have things you can't tell me and things you don't want me to know about. I didn't open any doors."

He sat back and crossed his arms. "Huh."

Rose bit her lip, "Please tell me I haven't given you brain damage in a moment of anger."

His face broke into a smile. "No, you haven't done that. But, it explains some stuff I was growing concerned about that I had noticed. Nothing is wrong. I'll scan myself just to make for certain. You blocked several things in my head I'm noticing now. It will take me a bit, but I'll get everything sorted back out. Wow. I'm glad you're on my side!"

Rose looked back at him, "You're not angry? The weird lobster dinner thing-"

"Oh, I made that up. I knew something was going on." He confessed.

Rose tossed her hands in the air, "Are you serious?"

He sat back and sighed as he crossed his arms. "Oh, I'm completely serious. As you told me this morning, all is fair in love and war. I was determined to get to the bottom of that."

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "I deserve that."

"No, you don't. I knew when I told you about it that you would do something. I just didn't realize it would have been so quick. Wow. It is really gone! I've not thought like this in, centuries!"

Rose laughed quietly as she stared at him. "Oh, you are going to be proper annoying now aren't you?"

He wagged his eyebrows at her. "Oh, very possible."

Rose smiled at him.

He rose up and broke apart some of the lobster creature. He pulled some of the meat out of it, dipping it into some yellow cream. He fed it to Rose off his fingers. Rose sucked his index finger as he put it into her mouth.

She could feel his instant confusion and enjoyment. She smiled at him, "Brain shorted out?"

He smiled as he took some of the meat, dipped it in the cream and ate it himself. "Oh, you have no idea. You are a mean woman. Can we get a hotel room here? Tonight?"

He could feel Rose's uneasiness. "Would it be terrible for me-"

"We can do it another night. We're here for a few days. We can go back to the ship. I want you to be comfortable. Actually, anniversary! I have something special planned. We need you have you back on the ship for that. Right! See, brain working better already. Annoying husband who can't keep his hands to himself has Plan B already in the works! You'll like this better anyway."

Rose smiled at him. "Oh gosh. What have I got myself into?"

He fed her some more of the meat as he ate some himself. "Oh, you like it. Don't even try woman."

XXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx


	4. Chapter 4 - One

XXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 4 - "One"

They finished their dinner and decided to go back to the arrival park and walk around a bit. As they walked beside of the river, the Doctor's bracelet lit up. He saw that it was a call from Pete.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Rose asked him.

He thought about it as he watched the bracelet display Pete's name. "No. I know what that's about. I'll call him later. I really don't want to think about it at the moment."

Rose held his hand and they continued to walk until they came to bench that sat between two flowering bushes. They sat down as the Doctor picked a flower from the bush and handed it to Rose. She smiled as she smelled it. He laid his arm on the back of the bench as she leaned into him. A large boat slowly sailed in front of them on the river. Different sorts of people walked all around them.

Rose smiled, "This is just amazing. I love this."

"Feel safe?" he asked her.

She looked back at him. "I honestly can't remember feeling safer. I'm here, where no one knows me, and I'm with you."

The evening wind blew her hair around her face as she turned to look at him. He cupped his hand on her cheek as he leaned in to kiss her. After a few moments, Rose put her hands in his hair as they continued to snog.

Rose teased him in his head. _'Kissing me out in front of everyone. You are usually so shy.'_

 _'Oh, mess my hair up proper for me, Rose. No one knows us here.'_ He told her as he held her tightly and continued to kiss her.

They were interrupted by someone making a very loud, kissing noise.

They stopped kissing, turned to see Tony Stark standing inches from their faces. He had bent down and made the kissing noise to get their attention. Behind him stood Jack, Lance, Legate, Logan and Timon. They were all laughing at them.

Rose smiled and covered her mouth.

The Doctor dropped his head. "Hey guys. Didn't know you were coming down tonight."

Tony laughed as he pointed at them and stood back up. "Looks like we got here just in time. Don't they have hotels here?"

Jack crossed his arms and teased, "Yeah, get a room. Geez. Don't we have to suffer enough on the ship?"

The Doctor groaned and shook his head. Rose took over. "Oh, shut up Jack. You are just missing Jake."

Jack nodded his head. "Oh, I am. I wish he was here with us. Did Pete get in touch with you?" He pointed at The Doctor.

The Doctor quickly waved his hand. "I'm on a date. Rose has my full attention. I'm not dealing with that right now. We'll have a meeting about it later."

Tony turned and smacked Jack's chest. "Told you he would be pissed. How could he not be?"

The Doctor reached in his pocket. "I'm serious. Not one more word about it." He took out the pod box and tossed it to Tony. "There. That's your ticket to get whatever you want. You are all authorized users of it. Even you, Logan. Get your mum and brothers something interesting. Jack will explain how to use it."

Jack looked at the box and smiled. "Nice. A pod! Fill it up, yet?"

Rose smiled, "Probably. You wouldn't believe the stuff we got."

The Doctor smiled, "Yeah, we needed a bit of stuff for the children."

Jack pointed at the Doctor. "You know, Sam is amazing. I don't see anything of you in him though, Doc. It's like he's completely, Rose. I think that's why I like him so much."

Rose could feel the Doctor's annoyance at Jack's comment. He turned and looked at Rose.

 _'Don't let him wind you up. He doesn't know.'_ Rose told him in his head.

The Doctor rubbed his beard to hide his annoyance. He asked Rose to say something to Jack.

Rose looked confused. She turned to Jack and said, "Jack. Go on up to the 34th floor. There's a fantastic chocolate shop you really should check out."

Jack's smile disappeared. He turned on the Doctor as the men all around him began to laugh so hard they could hardly stand. "You TOLD HER?! Really? You just suck!"

Jack walked away. The rest of the men, still laughing hysterically, waved as they left. Tony pointed back at them, "Don't wait up."

Rose turned to face the Doctor, who was laughing under his breath. "Okay, what the hell was that about?"

He took her hand as they stood up to walk to the platform to transport back to the ship. "Oh, that's a great story."

XXxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxx

The Doctor held Rose's hand as they walked down the dimmed hallways of the ship. It was late at night. They were both laughing at the story The Doctor had told Rose about Jack and the chocolate.

Rose continued to laugh, "I'll never look at chocolate the same way again. Oh, that's great."

As they got to the door of their room, The Doctor reached out to open the door, but then stopped. He looked back at Rose.

Rose looked in his eyes and smiled. "What is it?"

He sighed. "I don't want our date to be over. As soon as we walk through that door, we have to deal with reality again."

Rose wrapped her arms around his neck. "This is reality now. As we stand here. Besides, we don't have to go to a hotel for whatever you have planned. What is this 'Plan B' you have up your sleeve?"

He smiled at her. "Oh, you will really love it. And I think it's just what you need. Go take a hot shower, and meet me in our bed."

Rose smiled at him with her tongue in her teeth. "Shall I dress?"

He smiled, "No. But, it's not what you are thinking. Well, it could be. I won't say."

Rose kissed him quickly. "I had a great time tonight. Thank you."

He smiled at her. "Even with the lobster lies?"

"Especially, the lobster lies. That was the highlight."

He put his hand on her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. She held him close as they kissed. He ran his hands up to her breasts, and the hallway was suddenly illuminated by his bracelet. Pete was calling him again. They stopped kissing as the Doctor looked at the bracelet. He considered answering, then declined the call again.

"What's going on?" Rose asked him.

"Oh, I'm sure that will be the only thing people will be talking about for days." He shook his head as he looked down at the ground. "Don't let this take over our night. I promise I'll tell you everything in the morning about it. Everyone is safe."

Rose looked serious at him. "Something big, huh?"

He nodded his head, "Yeah."

Rose nodded her head. "I trust you. Alright."

He pressed the door and they walked into their suite. The lights were dimmed. Lewis was sitting on the sofa holding Genie who was sleeping with a blanket wrapped around her. Lewis was watching football on the telly. He looked up at them walk in and smiled. He whispered, "Welcome back. I thought you would be gone all night?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah. We're not ready for that yet."

Rose bit her lip. "Yeah, I feel badly about-"

The Doctor quickly turned to her and shook his head. "Don't feel bad about that. It's alright. I wanted to come back to the ship tonight, too."

Rose smiled as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. He looked at Genie lying in Lewis' arms and smiled at her. He asked, "Where is Sam?"

Lewis smiled, "Funny you ask. I think he knows you are back." Sam started to cry.

Lewis pointed to oval cot that was on the floor. Rose walked over and took Sam out of the cot. She kissed him on the top of his head as he stopped fussing immediately. "We might have to wait on your 'Plan B'. He seems to need a feed."

The Doctor smiled as he looked at Sam. "Yep. Back to reality. We'll get to it another time."

Rose looked seriously at him and spoke in his head. _'Are you disappointed? I can feel that.'_

He smiled at her. "No, sweetheart. I'm not." He looked down at Sam as the baby grabbed his finger and pulled it into his mouth. "I got you something else to put in your mouth besides my fingers. I should go get it for you."

Rose smiled, "Is the stuff we already got already up here?"

The Doctor smiled as he looked at Sam. "Yeah. Lewis brought up the contents of the pod while we were at dinner. Thank you for that Lewis."

Lewis waved it off. "No big deal at all. This cot, and some nappies I'm familiar with, were the only things I took out of stuff. Well, and a pack of those pants! Thanks for grabbing me some of those. The rest is down in the cargo hold."

Rose laughed quietly. "You two and your pants. Are they really that much better?"

They both looked back at Rose and nodded seriously.

Lewis smiled, "I've already put a pair on. Oh, I thank you, man. I think Sam likes his new nappies, too. He went right to sleep after Arla changed him."

The Doctor smiled, "Earth nappies are strange, aren't they?"

Lewis nodded his head. "Crazy. And they feel like paper. I don't like them at all."

Rose smiled at them. "Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm going to take this one to bed. Good night."

They both told her goodnight as she left the room.

The Doctor smiled at Genie. "When did she go to sleep?"

Lewis smiled down at her. "About an hour ago. She wanted to wait up for you. Then she wanted a snuggle. I knew she would go right to sleep if I got her still."

The Doctor leaned down and picked up Genie. She didn't wake up completely, but spoke, "Daddy."

He kissed her cheek as he sat down on the sofa next to Lewis, holding her. "Hello, my sweet Sara Gene. Mum and Dad are back." She lay her head on his shoulder and went back to sleep. Lewis handed him a blanket. He rubbed her back as she continued to sleep.

The Doctor smiled down at Genie. "Where is Arla?"

"She fell asleep a few hours ago. I told her to go back to our room and get some rest. She seemed tired to me." Lewis turned to The Doctor. "So. You? How are you taking this news?"

"I'm not thinking about it. I think it would be best to get all of the information on what exactly happened before we get excited about it. Or pissed. I'm not sure which I'll be yet."

Lewis shook his head. "Hell, I'd be happy. But, that's me."

The Doctor shook his head. "Really. I don't want to think about it. I've not even told Rose, yet. Pete has called me twice. I've not even taken the call. But, there is something I need to talk to you about."

Lewis looked surprised. "Sure. Everything alright?"

The Doctor looked at Genie and put his fingers over his lips. Then he spoke in Lewis' head using the Quauhtin connection. _'We can talk like this and only we hear it, you are 100% certain?'_

Lewis smiled. _'Yes. What is it?'_

The Doctor bit his lip. _'I don't know how to tell you this. But, I'm your friend. I need to say it.'_

Lewis rubbed his face and groaned. _'Oh, shit. This has to do with Arla, doesn't it? You don't approve of something-'_

 _'No, she's great! I honestly think she's too good for you. But, that's not what this is about. You need to marry this girl. This week. Before we return home.'_

Lewis looked surprised. _'Why? Is she going to turn into a pumpkin?'_

The Doctor bit his lip. _'Summus will really be pissed if he finds out she's carrying your twins and you haven't gotten married.'_

Lewis looked surprised. _'You're fucking with me. That's what this is, right?'_

He shook his head as he smiled. _'I'm not! I felt it yesterday when we were at the house. I honestly kissed her on the cheek in my excitement. She thinks I was excited that she asked to babysit. I don't think she even knows.'_

Lewis covered his mouth in shock. _'Oh. This is not good. Hell, I'd be out of the Guard if this is true! This is a capital offense!'_

 _'Well, you dumb ass, didn't you two use something? You knew what you were doing!'_

Lewis looked offended. _'Of course we did. And I have to say, I hate it and was planning on picking up something more comfortable here. Doesn't look like I have to do that now. Wow. Are you sure?'_

The Doctor nodded his head. _'Positive. I can scan her if you like. But, I'm sure I felt three heartbeats where she stood. I'm sure of it.'_

 _'Two. Well, it's not four. I always worried about that. Shit, I know when this happened. Three weeks ago. We had a …. Ummm…. nevermind.'_

The Doctor smiled, 'That can happen.'

Lewis laid his hand on his head and sighed. _'This couldn't have been easy to say to me. Thank you. I'll have to tell her. Then I suppose I'll have to find my Ten.'_

The Doctor looked confused. _'Ten? Is that really true?'_

Lewis nodded his head. _'Of course it is! It's tradition. I suppose I'll start with you. Would you be 'One'?'_

The Doctor looked shocked. He spoke aloud excitedly. "Really? Me? 'One'!?"

Genie groaned. They both smiled as they both rubbed her back. Lewis continued to speak in The Doctor's head, _'Of course. I'll sort the rest of it out tomorrow. Wow. Who could even marry us? I remember there was some question about that when you and Rose married.'_

 _'Earth traditions are a bit different than Quauhtin. Anyone can marry a Quauhtin, but for people from Earth it has to be a leader of a church, someone associated in law, sea captain-'_

 _'Captain! You could do it! You're the captain of this ship!'_

The Doctor looked surprised back at him. _'Are you serious? Me?'_

 _'Come on man. Would you? I'm not going to go to her with a problem without a solution already worked out.'_

 _'That's very Quauhtin of you. I get yelled at when I do that.'_

 _'Come on, man. We're friends. Help me out here.'_ Lewis said.

 _'Does she have any family that she would want to be at the wedding? Can you get away with doing this?'_

Lewis shrugged his shoulders. _'I've never asked her about her family. I'm not sure.'_

The Doctor laughed in disbelief. _'How do you two even have a relationship? You never talk about important stuff.'_

Lewis held out his hands. _'It's never came up!'_

 _'Does she know about you being a quadruplet?'_

Lewis shook his head. _'No. I normally don't tell anyone that.'_

 _'Really? Why not?'_

 _'People see you as a ¼, instead of a whole person. None of us usually say anything about it.'_

 _'Does she even know Lance is your brother?'_ The Doctor asked in surprise.

Lewis bit his lip and thought. _'I'm not sure.'_

The Doctor threw his head back and laughed quietly. _'Lewis. You are unlike anyone I've ever met before. Wow. Do you and Arla even talk? About anything?'_

 _'Oh, shit. Of course we do.'_ Lewis told him.

The Doctor rose his eyebrows at him. _'Like what?'_

Lewis looked back and him and blushed. _'Well, nothing I'm going to discuss with you!'_

The Doctor was laughing hysterically and trying to be quiet about it so he wouldn't disturb Genie. _'This is unreal. Wow. So, this will be the first real conversation you have had with this woman?'_

 _'No. We've had some 'real' conversations. She knows I'm a Quauhtin and I'm in the Guard. I've never explained my tattoo isn't British, but…. you know what? Don't worry about me. I'll talk to her. Explain what's at stake.'_ He rubbed his face. _'Geez. I can't believe this.'_

They sat in silence for a bit as Lewis seemed to organize his thoughts. The Doctor continued to laugh quietly at his friend. Finally Lewis broke the silence. _'So. Will you marry us? Will you be my 'One'?'_

He smiled at him. _'Of course. It would be my honor.'_

Lewis smiled proudly as he stood up. _'Wonderful! That's settled. Keep it to yourself about the twins. Wow. Twins. Holy shit. I'm going to be a father.'_

 _'You're going to love it. You're great with mine.'_

 _'Oh, I love children. They remind me what's important. Thanks, for everything. I'll see you in the morning.'_ Lewis shook his hand as he left the room.

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	5. Chapter 5 - Plan C

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Chapter 5 - Plan C

The Doctor walked into the bedroom running his hand through his hair. Rose lay in the bed, propped up on the pillows with Sam nursing. The lights were turned down.

"Boy, you feel full of different emotions. Crazy night, huh?" Rose asked him quietly.

He smiled as he looked at her. "My life has turned into a soap opera. And it was nothing like I ever saw on Eastenders."

Rose pointed forcefully at him. "See! I knew you liked that show!"

"I only watch it to have something to talk about with Jackie. I don't even watch it regularly. It's hardly worth mentioning." He defended himself.

The damage was already done. Rose laughed quietly. "Right. Oh, I won't say anything to the guys. Don't worry about it."

He smiled and shook his head. "Would you mind terribly if I went to take a shower?"

"Need to be alone? Organize your thoughts?" Rose helped.

He nodded his head. "Yeah. Is that strange? I just need to think."

Rose looked down at Sam. "It's fine. I'm honestly surprised you don't do that more often. I've not asked you in a while, but how are you doing? Being here? Like this?"

He put his hands on his hips and sighed. "I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me, Rose."

Rose looked up at him, "But, I do. It's my job."

He laughed quietly as he leaned into the bed and kissed her quickly. "Don't wait up on me. I'll be out in a while and lie down with you. I just need to clear my head. We'll engage my brilliant Plan B another time this week. Alright?"

She smiled up at him. "It's completely fine. Take all the time you need."

"Are you alright? You were so sore earlier today, but you seem….." He asked her.

She looked down at Sam and shook her head. "I feel fine."

He walked over to the closet as he rubbed his neck. His phone rang again causing his bracelet to light up in the dim bedroom. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at it.

"Dad, again?" Rose asked.

"Yeah." He replied as he rubbed his beard and considered whether to answer or not.

"Maybe just send him a message. That way he knows you are getting the call, but don't want to answer it. Tell him we're still on our date." Rose reasoned.

"That is a good idea. That will buy me some more time." He sighed as he sent Pete a text.

"Why do you need some more time? What's going on?" Rose asked him as she saw him lay his phone on the shelf in the closet. He pulled out his pajama bottoms and shook his head.

He turned to walk to the bathroom to take his shower. "Time Lord needing solitude. Excuse me, beloved."

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It was the middle of the night. The Doctor lay in the bed, propped up on a few pillows. He was wearing his glasses and texting Pete to get the full story of the events of that night.

Rose woke up. She could feel his surprise and frustration as he read the texts and sent some back. She reached out her arm and rubbed his bare chest. It caused him to jump.

"Jesus, you are jumpy. What's going on?" Rose asked him.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" He asked her as pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it.

"No. My legs are killing me. I really overdid it today." Rose told him.

He took off his glasses and laid them on the shelf next to the bed with his phone. He turned and rolled Rose on her back. He looked her up and down.

Rose smiled at him. "How can you even see me in the dark like this?"

"I can see you just fine, my dear. Don't worry about that. You are sore everywhere. All of that tension you've been carrying around. Are you sure you dissolved that PTSD?"

"Of course I did. If I put it in my head, I know that you would just go get it out again. It's gone." Rose told him.

He nodded his head. "Alright. I can tell how sore your legs are."

Rose shook her head as she closed her eyes. "I don't know what I was thinking. Running after lying in the bed for months. I should have started slow."

"No, I should have started slow. I took you down to the planet tonight and walked you all over the place. I shouldn't have done that. I knew you were already sore."

"I'll just take something and get back to sleep-" Rose started.

He was already out of the bed, "Hang on. Plan C!" He told her quietly. He stopped at the end of the crib and looked in on Sam, then stepped out of the room. He returned in a just a few seconds with a bottle in his hand.

"What is that?" Rose asked him.

"Some oil. It's going to make you feel better." He told her as he opened it and sat it on the shelf next to the bed.

Rose laid her head back on the pillow. "I don't know if anything will make me feel better. I hurt everywhere. My legs, my back. My damn shoulders. I think my head is the only thing that doesn't hurt."

He climbed back into the bed next to her and pulled the duvet off of her. "You are still wearing your clothes from when we went down to the planet?" he smiled.

"I fell asleep nursing Sam." She defended herself.

He laughed quietly at her. "Let me help you get all of this off." He told her as she rose up and he took off her shirt and bra.

"I'm not sure what you have on your mind, but I'm not up for what normally happens after this." Rose teased him.

He smiled at her. "That would be Plan A. I won't lie. That's always Plan A. At least with me. Plan B is something else that we'll do another night. This is Plan C, and I think it's just what you need."

He had taken off her skirt and knickers. He told her to roll over on her stomach.

"Just relax. This might make you go to sleep, but I'll not stop until I know you are feeling better. I can tell." He told her as he started to massage her neck and shoulders with the warm oil. As he worked his hands down her nude back, Rose groaned.

"This is amazing. I didn't know you knew how to do this." Rose told him.

He could feel her begin to relax as he worked her muscles in his hands. "Is it too warm?"

"No. It's perfect." Rose told him.

He continued to massage her shoulders and back.

"How are they getting along at Torchwood without you?" Rose asked him.

He gritted his teeth. "Oh I'm sure they are very happy to be without me at the moment."

He put more oil in his hands and massaged her arms, one at a time. She was like putty in his hands. He could feel the tension and soreness leaving her body.

"This is amazing." She moaned quietly.

He smiled as he put more oil in his hands and massaged her back and her bum. Working both cheeks as if he was kneading bread.

 _'I'm so relaxed I can't even speak anymore. This is so incredibility hot.'_ She told him in his head.

 _'This should help. I really shouldn't have taken you down tonight. I was just anxious to be alone with you.'_ He told her.

He put more oil in his hands and rubbed her leg, paying close attention to the muscles he could feel were in the most pain.

 _'How's that?'_ he asked her.

 _'They don't hurt anymore. This is the best. Where did you learn to do this?'_

He put more oil in his hands and massaged her other leg. _'Massages have been around for an extremely long time. Even in ancient Egypt. But, it was a Chinese doctor who used it for medical purposes first on Earth.'_

 _'I wonder where he learned it from?_ ' Rose teased.

 _'It honestly wasn't me. I learned it from him.'_ He told her as he rubbed both of her feet.

Rose's eyes rolled back in her head. _'I never imagined I'd be this relaxed in my life.'_

When he finished, he sat back on his knees. _'Alright. Do you want me to finish the front of your body? Or what?'_

 _'Might as well do it proper.'_ Rose told him as she rolled over. He leaned up and kissed her quickly.

 _'Feeling better? You seem to be.'_ He smiled at her.

She smiled at him. _'This is the best. I'd take this any day. You might regret ever showing me that you know how to do this.'_

He shook his head as he continued to massage her, _'Anytime my dear. Just ask me. I love running my hands all over your nude body. I've decided, this is the way I'll memorize it. Every curve. Every beautiful part.'_

She smiled at his words as she watched him work. _'This might be my favorite thing.'_

He oiled up his hands again as he began to rub her chest. _'Really? Even more than my little trick I use?'_

 _'Okay, you're going to have to be more clear. There are so many now.'_ She teased him.

 _'The hours long love making trick.'_ He smiled at her.

 _'Well, that has it's time and place. You've not even mentioned that for a really long time.'_ Rose teased him.

He shook his head as he rubbed more oil on her arms and massaged them. _'I really don't plan to do that for a very long time.'_

 _'Really? Why?'_ Rose asked him.

He bit his lip as he sat up and looked at her seriously. _'I hurt myself last time.'_

Rose was surprised. _'You didn't tell me that! You shielded me from it and everything. Wait. We weren't joined then, were we?'_

He shook his head. _'I don't think we were. When we rode the Bullet, right?'_

She smiled, _'Yes. Is that when it happened?'_

He rubbed her hips and worked his way to her legs. _'Yeah. I wasn't going to say anything, but I suppose you have wondered why. Just something I don't want to do until the memory of how bad it hurt is gone.'_

Rose was still in disbelief over this revelation. _'How were you even walking around? You shagged me several times a day back then!'_

He smiled at the memory as he massaged her leg. _'Oh, I did! I'd do it again, and I'm sure we'll get back to that soon.'_

 _'It didn't hurt you?'_ Rose asked.

He stopped and sat back on his knees. He sighed. _'Rose. There are things. Things I shouldn't do, but I'm honestly a child and just do them anyway. I'm sure you have noticed it. I can just tell my body to forget about the pain, so I can enjoy myself, or I can sometimes just send it away.'_

 _'You used some of your regeneration energy to repair that damage. That was after you were shot! How many years did you use up so you could shag again?'_

He dropped his head, _'Busted by my clever wife. Rose, it was worth every damn day. I pulled my groin muscle! Do you have any idea how bad that hurts?'_

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. _'How many years?'_

 _'Think about this, Rose. We aren't sure about this life span thing for you, or me. This probably isn't that big of a deal.'_

She sat up in the bed and pointed at him forcefully. _'Damn it! You're going to answer my damn question!'_

He smiled, bit his lip as he looked in her eyes. _'I love how proper cross you are right now.'_

 _'You're really going to like it after I punch your ass out and make you sleep on the sofa!_ ' Rose told him.

He laughed quietly. Rose pushed him backwards in the bed as she climbed on top of him. He looked up at her nude, shinny body.

 _'I thought we had discussed this before. This is not the best for integrating me.'_ He teased her. He could feel her annoyance grow.

She sat on his waist as she thought. Then she suddenly dove down and bit his chest. He jumped, _'What the hell, woman?'_ he asked her in surprise.

 _'You are going to play football at some point on this ship and you are going to take your shirt off in front of the guys. I'm going to put so many love bites on your chest that they won't ever stop teasing you.'_ Rose told him.

He looked at her in disbelief. _'Really? That's your strategy?'_

She smiled as she bit his chest again. He jumped under her. _'Hey! Okay! Four! Four years!'_

She stopped and sat back on his waist. _'Four years. That's four years that I might have to live on without you.'_

He pointed at her. _'Sweetheart, that's not how this works. We're joined. When one of us die, the other one will probably die within months. Or go mad. You remember, I explained this to you.'_

Rose shook her head, _'I can't live without you.'_

 _'I know. That's what being joined is, sweet-'_

 _'No. I mean, I really can't. I've tried it, and I know I can't go back to that. Even when you were gone with Dad. It was terrible. I was so miserable.'_ Rose told him.

He rose up and put both of his hands on her cheeks. He spoke softly, "Sweetheart. You will never be without me. Please don't worry about that. You know I can't live without you, neither."

He wiped tears from Rose's eyes. She smiled painfully as she whispered, "I can't help it. I know I'm being stupid."

He shook his head. "Your feelings are never stupid. You went through so much, all because of me. I can't believe anyone would love someone so much to endure that."

They lay their foreheads together. Rose whispered, "I can't tell you how much I love you."

He was done talking. _'Let me try to show you how much I love you.'_ He told her as he kissed her. They held one another tightly as they forgot anyone in the universe existed but one another. He lay her back down on the bed.

 _'This is alright, right?'_ He asked her.

She smiled at him. _'Yes. Go on.'_

He held his finger up in front of her and smiled, "There's something I have wanted, for months."

Rose looked at him questionability but soon discovered what he was on about. He kissed down her chest until he got between her legs. She spread them apart for him as he licked her opening. _'Better than any lollipop I've ever had.'_ He told her.

Her eyes had already rolled back in her head. She bent her knees only to have her leg remind her how sore it was. The Doctor felt it and massaged the hurt out of it as he continued to lick her girlie bits. She was so lost in the pleasure that she pulled a pillow over her face to scream in it. He ran his tongue inside of her and continued to suck in certain spots he knew that she enjoyed.

She bit the pillow in an attempt to stop herself from screaming. He could hear her muffled moans from the pillow. He smiled as he kissed back up her chest, cupping one of her breasts with his hand. He pulled the pillow from her face and smiled at her. _'Should we wait on this? I don't want you to wake up anyone.'_

She looked at him seriously, _'Then stop doing that. You know what makes me shout.'_

He rolled his eyes. _'So, let me get this straight. I have to be rotten at making love to you to keep from waking everyone up?'_

Rose sighed, _'Ugh. No! Just don't do that. Or that other thing. Or that other thing you do.'_

He smiled at her. _'To be clear. How about that other thing…?'_

 _'NO! Not that either!'_ Rose told him.

He chuckled as he kissed her neck.

Rose pulled down the top of his pajama bottoms and pulled him inside of her. He smiled at her. "So, that's alright?"

She pointed at him forcefully. "You know how to do this without making me scream. Do not wake up the baby."

He laughed quietly at her. "Yes, ma'am. New father will take any Plan A treatment he can get." He told her as thrust slowly inside of her.

He leaned down to kiss her, "Rose. I love you. When I first met you, I had no idea how much you would end up meaning to me."

She smiled up at him. "Have you really loved me since the first time you saw me?"

He bit his lip and looked at her. "Not since, 'Run.' But probably since New New York. It really shocked me when you kissed me."

She looked surprised, "I didn't kiss you!"

He continued to thrust inside of her as he looked into her eyes and rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs. "Okay, I can't remember the exact moment. But, it's only because I knew I couldn't have you."

"And now you have all of me." She smiled at him.

"My other half. What is most precious to me in this entire universe." He whispered to her.

He leaned down to kiss her again. He sucked her bottom lip as she groaned. She held him tightly as she enjoyed the snog.

After a bit, he rolled over on his back and ran his hand through his hair. "Wooo! Now, I'm going to be sore." He exclaimed.

Sam started to cry from his crib.

Rose pointed at him. "That was your fault."

He smiled as he slipped back on his pajama bottoms and went to pick up Sam. He held him in his arms and said, "Daddy is sorry, Sam. Everything is fine. You can go back to sleep. Your mum just really makes me excited and I lose control."

He looked up and winked at Rose. She smiled at him.

Sam put his hand on The Doctor's chin. He moved him to his shoulder as he rubbed his back. "This will take a bit to get him back to sleep, Rose. I'll walk around with him. You get some rest."

He reached in the closet and put on his robe. Rose wished the lights had been brighter in their room so she could have seen how he had put it on while holding Sam. He walked out of the bedroom's door and into the ship's hallway.

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	6. Chapter 6 – Evening Discussion with Tony

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Chapter 6 – Evening Discussion with Tony

The Doctor cradled Sam in his arms as he stood in front of the large window outside of his suite at the end of the dim hallway. He watched Plentitude rotate under the ship. Other ships in orbit could be seen from the window.

Tony Stark walked down the hall behind him. He rubbed his hands together and pushed his sunglasses up on top of his forehead. He was wearing a pair of jeans, a long sleeved shirt and a thin jacket. He had clearly just returned from Plentitude.

He got to the door to his suite, and then looked up and saw the back of The Doctor standing in front of the window. He thought for a second, then walked over to him and looked out of the window, too. He greeted him quietly. "Evening, Good Doctor."

The Doctor smiled as he turned his head to look at Tony. "Just getting back?"

"Yeah. Jack, Lance and Timon stayed. They were going to hit a few more bars."

The Doctor chuckled, "You didn't want to go with them? That doesn't sound like you."

Tony put his hands in his pockets as he shrugged his shoulders. "Ah. Everyone has an off-day. Legate had to have Logan back, so I came back with them. What are you doing to that kid?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I'm not doing anything _to_ him. It probably sounds like that. I need to check a few things in the morning to make sure he's recovered as much as I think he has."

"I still don't understand what happened. You had him pressurize the cabin of the ship to keep it from imploding on itself. Is that right?"

"Yeah. But, it was to a dangerous level. He's lucky to have gotten out of it. He's lucky to have lived through the entire thing. If he had a better understanding of what happened, he probably wouldn't have remained so calm and trusted me as much as he did."

"Sometimes, ignorance is bliss." Tony told him.

"Ah, it's still ignorance." The Doctor told Tony as he looked down at Sam. He was sleeping peacefully in his arms.

Tony looked at his friend. "I'm sorry, I think I must have interrupted you….meditating or something over here."

The Doctor laughed quietly. "I don't meditate. I accidently woke Sam up. He started to cry, so I brought him out here so he wouldn't wake up everyone. I've just been thinking."

"Thinking. How long have you been standing out here, holding your son and thinking?"

"One hour and 56 minutes and 14 seconds." He told him absentmindedly.

Tony chuckled, "Next time. I'm going to need a clearer answer. Work on that."

The Doctor looked back at him, "Sorry about that. Rose tells me that's odd. It's a hard habit to break."

"I could make you a shock collar." Tony offered.

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he smiled. "I'll deal with it on my own, thanks."

Tony nodded his head. "Offer stands. So, you still don't want to talk about it?"

"No. I don't. You know? It's like they just waited for me to leave to do something about it. Does it seem like that to you?"

Tony nodded his head. "That's what I keep going back to. Did you talk to Pete? Get the full story?"

"Oh, I did. It's worse than I thought." He told him.

"Pissed?" Tony asked him.

"That's the thing. I'm really not. Normally, I would be. This is strange. Rose told me tonight that she had messed with my head. She has, abilities. Neither one of us truly understand yet."

"You're worried she's damaged something?" Tony asked.

"No. I'm worried she's taken away something I believe I need. Everything seems to be fine, except, I'm not angry about this. I really should be."

Tony nodded his head, "Wait. Angry about this shit with Idles? Or that Rose has done something to your head?"

"Both, honestly. But, we'll talk more about that in the morning. I don't want to talk about it now."

"And just like that, he closes the door on the conversation. You are like speaking with a ….. oh, hell I don't know what." Tony told him.

"Frustrated? I can feel that." The Doctor told him.

Tony pointed at him. "And that's just weird. Stop it!"

The Doctor smiled at him.

Tony shook his head and mumbled, "Booga, weird alien shit going on all the time."

The Doctor laughed silently at his friend. "What's on your mind, Tony?"

"There is this one thing. It's weird. People from Earth don't know about other alien species, but I was asked three times tonight on a foreign planet if I was human! How the hell do they know about humans out there?"

"You can't figure that out? Really?" The Doctor asked him.

Tony rubbed his head as he turned to face The Doctor. "Normally, I probably could. But, Jack took us to that damn restaurant he says you took Pete too. You know, where you float in the air with the half naked women flying around? The beer there was amazing! I honestly had to stop after the twelfth one."

"Twelve! Jeez! How are you even able to stand right now?"

"Practice. It's not my first experience with intoxication. Logan might have a bit of a headache in the morning though, so take it easy on him. So, my question. I can't think straight at the moment, but it's weirded me out a bit. Explain this to me. Break it down, Barney-style."

"Barney?!" The Doctor laughed at him.

Tony rubbed his head as he nodded. "You have small kids, I figure you know who that is."

The Doctor laughed as he shook his head. "Oh, I'm so glad you have came with us on this trip. You've certainly lifted my spirits just now. Okay, the answer is simple. Different species come to the Milky Way all of the time to refill ships off the gas giants and mine from the asteroid belt. Earth is just a quick jump away from all of that, so often, they will go and visit there. They've done it for years."

Tony nodded, "Yeah, since that mess out in New Mexico. When that spaceship crashed."

The Doctor looked back at Tony, "Oh, that was a terrible accident. Training mission. Those guys never had a chance. That craft wasn't designed to ever go through any atmosphere. It didn't have the heat shielding it needed. They cooked inside of that craft as entered the Earth's atmosphere. It had to be an extremely painful way to die. Cooked from the inside out."

"So, that wasn't the first?" Tony asked.

"Oh, hell no. Earth has been visited for an extremely long time. As far as records would show from there, since the time of Alexander the Great. I personally have been back further than that, but managed to stay out of the records. At least before 329 BC. Yeah, I can take credit for that one. I'm briefly mentioned in some reports of that."

"You went to see Alexander the Great?" Tony asked him.

"I traveled in time for a very, very long time. Very few parts of history I didn't see. Alexander had his army crossing a river when I was there. Two Guycramnua cruisers appeared in the sky above them. They had been having war games in the asteroid belt and those two cruisers broke apart from the group. They appeared to be shooting lasers at one another, but it was training beams and wouldn't hurt anyone. Scared the hell out of Alexander and his army, though. He ordered his army to turn back and wait until the following day to cross the river."

"Now, I've heard of that. He described it as two shields in the sky."

"Yeah, that's probably what they looked like to him. They were both rather flat and long. Similar to a Uaxyts or a Qaqesk ship."

Tony looked at him and rolled his eyes. "Right. That clears that right up."

The Doctor didn't notice the cheek. He was looking back down at Sam who was still sleeping.

"Still. They can look at my face, and pick me out of a crowd. That simple. 'Are you a human?' How do they do that? They always pointed at me, Logan and Jack. None of those…what do you call them?" Tony asked.

"Quauhtin." The Doctor told him. "They are Quauhtin Warriors."

"They look just like me! You do, too! How the hell can anyone tell the difference?"

The Doctor turned back to Tony. "This clearly has you wound up."

Tony nodded his head, "Dude, it's weird. Normally, I can figure this shit out!"

The Doctor laughed quietly. "Rose doesn't understand it either. I watch the telly and point out aliens for entertainment. You wouldn't believe how many work at CNN."

Tony pointed at him, "Honestly, I would. Fox News, too. Basically, any media. Jesus."

"It's a subtle thing in most causes. Quauthin always look like they are ready to pounce on you and attack. That's because they are. They are never truly 'off duty.' The waiter Rose and I had tonight had gills on the ends of his ears. Rose didn't notice. It's just something most pick up. The more you are around people that aren't from Earth, or human, you'll notice the differences. It's not an immediate thing."

Tony nodded his head. "Okay, that makes sense. Thank you. I feel better."

The Doctor nodded as he rubbed Sam's head and smiled.

Tony rubbed his face. "I'm going to turn in. I've got a long day with Timon and Tony planned."

The Doctor looked up at him. "Tony? My Tony?"

"He has this brilliant idea about a flying glider. He says Summus explained to him how it works. Seems really simple, and I think we could get it to work."

The Doctor couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Hang on, mate. You and Tony Tyler are working on this glider idea he has?"

Tony nodded his head. "Hell yeah. It's brilliant! I had no idea Pete's son was as smart as Pete! I told him that we could go into the business together if we could figure out how to get it to work. He reminds me of myself at that age. Wow. He seems sure that we can get it to work. The principles are similar to some of the things I wanted to put on the suit. Air brakes, flaps, gliding mechanics for if the propulsion dies. I have some of that now, but it's just engineered a different way. His way seems way simpler and safer. Tony Tyler might have just saved my life, so I can turn around and save someone else's. How about that?"

The Doctor bit his lip in surprise. "I honestly can't think of anything to say about that."

Tony smiled at him. "I'll see you in the morning. Get some sleep."

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	7. Chapter 7 – Wake up Call

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Chapter 7 – Wake up Call

The Doctor walked back into the suite holding Sam. Rose was awake and sitting at the table having a chocolate milkshake as he came back in.

He laughed at her. "Chocolate milkshake for breakfast?"

Rose smiled at him, "It is made with healthy, whole milk."

He walked over to her and kissed her quickly. "And a ton of sugar. Granted, I'm one to talk about that."

Sam cried out.

Rose took him from The Doctor. "And someone needs his mum."

"Yeah, he knew you were in here as soon as I walked in." The Doctor told her as he rubbed his face.

"How did he know that?"

The Doctor smiled at her. "He's an infant. He can smell his mum. It's a well known fact. It's a survival trait common among all sorts of species in the universe."

Rose had unbuttoned her shirt and Sam had begun to nurse. "Okay, that just sounds strange. I'll take your word for it. Where have you been? Walking around all night?"

He shook his head. "Nah, just standing outside the door. Clearing my head. Some mad woman blocked some stuff in there that I had to sort out. It's all back the way it was."

Rose groaned at him. "Ugh. I really don't know what I was thinking doing that. I'm really sorry."

He smiled at her. "Really. It's not a big deal. I'm fine. I probably shouldn't tease you about it. I hear it's not wise to anger a dangerous woman."

She smiled at his cheek. "And that's good advice!"

He laughed as he thought for a moment. "Geez. 7:12 am, already. I need to get dressed. What do you think? A suit?"

"Going down to the hospital? Yeah, whatever you are most comfortable in. I know that's not your favorite environment." Rose told him as she started to drink her milkshake again.

"I can't help it. Hospitals give me the creeps." He told her. "A suit. Right."

Rose smiled at him. "With your new pants. That will keep you comfortable."

"I'm already wearing them, woman! Ha!" He exclaimed as he walked into the bedroom.

Rose looked down at nursing Sam and smiled, "Your Dad and his pants."

He returned in a few minutes wearing his dark blue, three piece suit. He had on his dark red, silk tie and Gucci shoes. He stopped and held his hands, "Well?"

Rose smiled, "You are so handsome. I love that suit."

"I don't feel so bad about spending so much on it now that I'm wearing it before Royalty." He told her as he went to the food replicator and asked, "Doctor's tea, please."

It appeared as if it had been transported onto the shelf. He sipped it. "Ah! Just what I need!"

Rose realized something. "You didn't get any sleep last night, did you?"

He continued to drink his tea. "Sweetheart, I'm fine. I got a lot of sleep the night before-"

"Like an hour." Rose fussed at him.

He threw his hand up in frustration. "Anyway. We're all meeting on the upper observation deck after breakfast. I need you to join us."

"Why? Whatever Dad kept calling you about last night?" Rose asked him.

He nodded his head, "Yes. Why aren't these rotten children up, yet? Have they decided to have a lie in?"

Rose smiled, "They must have. I have no idea."

"Lewis and Timon put together that play system last night. It's already on the observation deck." He told her.

"Do these Quauhtin sleep?" Rose asked.

He shook his head. "I wish they had told me they were putting it together. I would have helped. I'm handy with a screwdriver."

Rose smiled, "That you are."

He smiled as he sipped his tea. "Sam is still awake, right?"

Rose looked down at him. "Yes. Why?"

He smiled like a loon. "I am going to get the children up."

Rose watched him as he tapped his bracelet. "Friday. I need you to wake these rotten children up for me. Play that song Jacob hates for me, really loud."

"Of course, Captain Solo." Friday replied and 'Sleepyhead' by Passion Pit began to play loudly throughout the suite. The bass rocked.

Rose laughed in disbelief. "Oh my God. You are so mean to these children."

"They are sleeping their young lives away." He complained as he walked over and opened the door to their room.

"Good morning rotten children!" He called loudly over the music.

Jacob pulled the blanket over his head. "Doctor John! This song!"

Genie sat up and laughed. "This is great!"

Tony rolled over and put his pillow on his head. "John! This is cruel and unusual punishment!"

"Comrade, you aren't an American. Sorry about that." The Doctor informed him.

Jacob complained as he sat up. "Well, I am. Geez! This song?! Again? It sounds like a chipmunk singing! Badly!"

Genie smiled at him. "I like it. A hard rock chipmunk!"

Rose laughed at the exchange she heard.

The Doctor leaned in the doorway. "I'm not turning it off. You know how to do that. But, you have to be awake enough to remember where you are and how to do it."

Genie laughed as got out of bed and walked by him. "I'm not turning it off, Daddy."

He leaned down and kissed her forehead. "Good morning, Princess."

She giggled and skipped over to the table and sat down next to Rose.

Tony mumbled from under the pillow. "Jacob. Make it stop!"

Jacob rose up, his hair all over the place. "Friday! Turn this off."

Friday replied, "Certainly, Jacob." And the music stopped. The suddenly quiet speakers made all of their ears ring after the music had been so loud.

The Doctor continued to lean in the doorway and sip his tea. He stared at the boys. Jacob and Tony seemed to be going back to sleep. Rose could feel his playful mood.

Rose smiled, "Time Lord. What are you planning?"

He turned to her and winked.

After a few minutes. "Friday! Play my favorite song for these rotten boys."

"Happy to, Captain Solo." Friday said as The Black Key's "Have Love Will Travel" started to play, loudly.

Both boys groaned. Rose and Genie laughed at the scene.

The Doctor danced and sang along to it as the boys both groaned.

"John! Really?" Tony complained as he sat up in the bed.

Jacob shook his head. "We should give up, Tony. He's determined."

"That's right, men! There's a surprise upstairs for you! Play in it and stay out of my ship's vents! Don't think I don't know what's going on when I'm not around! I know _ALL_. It's one of my weird, alien traits."

Jacob shook his head, "Oh bull, Doctor John. Lewis ratted us out. He's the one that had to come get us."

Tony sprung straight up. "Lewis told you?!"

"Okay, so I have an informer. Remember that." The Doctor told them.

Tony grumbled, "Dang that, Lewis."

"Lewis sent me a picture of you both. You looked like something from another planet you were both so smutty. I could only see your eyes and your teeth."

Jacob fell back dramatically in the bed. "Friday. Turn off this-"

"Delay that, Friday! Override all requests to cancel my music." The Doctor demanded as he walked back into the sitting room.

Genie was sitting at the table with Rose. Both of them were laughing at him. He pointed at them and continued to sing along to the song. "Oh, I love this song."

Genie laughed as she looked at Rose. "Daddy is in a silly mood this morning."

Rose was looking at him curiously, "They were in the vents?"

He shook his head. "It's been handled, Rose. I really don't think they will do it again."

Genie looked back at Rose and laughed. "They were so funny. Lewis turned black getting them out of the vents. He has pictures."

The Doctor took his phone out of his pocket and showed Rose pictures of Jacob and Tony sitting in the hanger, covered in smut. Rose laughed. "That is brilliant!"

The Doctor smiled as he put the phone back in his pocket. "Yeah. They did clean them out for me."

Rose was laughing at him. "Go on upstairs and we'll join you in a few minutes."

He looked at her. "Are you sure? You don't need help with this lot?"

Jacob walked out of the bedroom. He patted The Doctor on the back. "I'm good, Doctor John. I'll see they get up there. I think I need coffee, though."

The Doctor laughed, "Coffee?! You're what?"

Jacob stood in front of him and rubbed his face. "Seven, nearly eight."

The Doctor looked puzzled at Rose. "Howie lets him drink coffee?"

Rose shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea."

Tony came out of the bedroom. "Dude. I'm up. Can we kill the music?"

The Doctor put his hands on his hips. "Friday. Turn it off." Friday turned off the music. "You are talking like Tony Stark. How much are you two hanging out together?"

Tony ran his hand through his short, ginger hair. "He is rather interesting. I've never been around him that much. That suit of his is cool!"

The Doctor looked up at Rose, who smiled. He looked back down at Tony. "Okay, well. Don't be a pest around him. I'm not sure if he's used to being around children or not."

Tony rolled his eyes. "John. I'm not an idiot. I can tell when people have had enough of my brilliance."

The Doctor bit his lip to keep from laughing at young Tony. He looked back at Rose. "Do you hear Jackie Tyler over here?"

Rose laughed. "That was my thoughts, too."

The Doctor knelt down in front of Tony. "Little brother, what's going on with you and Tony? He told me you were working on that glider project you talked about."

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "We talked about that a lot yesterday. I told him if he tried to steal my idea, I'd bust him in the kneecaps and then set you on him. He says you two are friends and he wouldn't do that."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows at Tony. "Set me on him, huh?"

"You're my brother! And besides, you have to be careful around people named Tony." Tony told him.

The Doctor chuckled, "And why's that?"

Tony held up his finger. "Little known fact. Tony spelled backwards is 'y not.' Think about that John."

The Doctor dropped his head and laughed, "Rose. Do you hear this?"

Rose was laughing, "Oh, that sums up Tony Stark for sure."

The door buzzed. The Doctor walked over and opened it. Tony Stark was standing outside in the hallway.

"The hell? Are you guys having a party or something over here? Remember, if you invite your neighbors, they tend not to call the cops on your ass."

The Doctor smiled at him. "Noted. Come in."

Tony walked in, rubbing his head.

Rose asked him, "Did he wake you up, too? He was trying to get the children out of bed."

Tony shook his head, "Nah, I've been up long enough to take a shower and have some coffee."

The Doctor looked at him, "How's your head?"

Tony shook his head, "Miserable. Do you have any aspirin?"

The Doctor smiled, "That's one thing you'll never catch me with. Come here, I know a trick."

Tony sighed as he walked over and stood in front of him.

The Doctor put his hands on either side of Tony's head.

Tony raised an eyebrow at him, "What sort of weird shit is this?"

Rose watched as Tony opened his eyes widely in shock and yelled, "Ah!"

She laughed at him as The Doctor looked quickly into each of his eyes and smiled. "You're fine. That will help."

Tony rubbed his head as he sat down on the sofa and put his hand on his face. "I feel like I've just been violated, in a very strange way. Rose? Is this normal with him?"

Rose laughed, "Yes. What do you think?"

Tony seemed to come back to life. He sprang up off of the sofa and clapped his hands together. "Woo! And I'm back! I like it!" He pointed at the Doctor. "Good appointment, Doc'."

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	8. Chapter 8 – Morning Meeting

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Chapter 8 – Morning Meeting

Rose walked into the top observation room. There was a five story play system with a slide that curved around the structure that had been installed the night before. The laughter coming from it told her that Genie, Tony and Jacob were having a great time playing. It sounded like a couple of Quauhtin were also inside of it. The Doctor walked in behind her, holding Sam in his arms.

Rose stood and pointed at the play system. "That thing is five stories tall."

"Yeah, I should have gotten the six story one. I didn't realize the ceiling was so tall in here." He told her.

She turned and looked at him. "Five stories!? They aren't going to break their necks on that?"

He smiled, "Rose Tyler. Relax. You are such an overprotective parent. Geez. Let them live a bit."

The Doctor walked over to the table where everyone was gathered around. He looked around the table and spotted who was missing. He yelled, "Lewis and Lance! Come here for nine minutes."

Tony shook his head. "You're not going to put the seconds with that?"

The Doctor shook his head at him. "Oh, shut up."

Arla came over and asked to take Sam. The Doctor handed him to her. She kissed Sam on the forehead and sat down at the table.

Rose looked at Jack. "Find some trouble last night?"

Jack shook his head. "No. I never have to go looking for trouble. It always seems to know just where I am."

The Doctor shook his head. "Oh, I'm sure I'll hear about that later. Jack. I'm at my limit. Tell me later."

Jack laughed, "Oh, I'll probably keep that one to myself, thanks."

"Even better." The Doctor agreed.

Lance and Lewis joined them. The Doctor looked around the tables. "Okay, everyone is here. Alright, we have a full day so I'll make this as quick as I can. I just have three things to discuss. Thing number one, Dorian Idles is dead."

Rose covered her mouth and looked at him. "Really?"

He nodded his head as he leaned on the back of a chair with both hands. "I have been talking to Pete and the story he has told me is that Adriano reported that they were planning an assassination attempt on President Howard Shepherd and his wife, Caroline. Possibility even their son. Which, as you know is behind us playing. The Joint Chiefs met in an emergency session as soon as Pete transported back down from seeing us off. President Harriet Jones was present as well. The CIA, MI-6 and Torchwood sent men into Dorian Idles' place and ….." The Doctor gritted his teeth at the word, "neutralized them."

Jack stood with his arms crossed. "Hang on. Them?"

"He had four other men he had been planning and discussing plans with for months. All of the kidnappings, assassination plans, everything had been planned with these other four men. Ryan Ard was also killed in the exchange. Summus was shot in the leg. He's expected to be fine. One guy from Torchwood and one from the CIA were also wounded."

Rose rubbed his back. She could feel a mixture of emotions from him.

Tony Stark asked. "That's the full story?"

The Doctor straightened up, "That's all I'm getting at the moment. Summus and Aemilius have been in direct contact with me. It lines up with their stories as well."

Lewis stood behind where Arla sat. "You don't believe them?"

"It's all too convenient. I don't know. Pete and I had talked about doing exactly this, hell Tony and I had talked about it, recently."

Tony nodded his head as he crossed his arms. "Yeah."

Lance asked him. "You feel like they waited until you were out of the way for a while because they knew you wouldn't approve."

The Doctor looked at Rose and nodded his head. "Certainly."

Polonius spoke. "But, then it means the threat is over. The family is safe."

Lewis shook his head. "No, it doesn't. We'll have to wait and see if Idles was taking his orders from someone or if someone else rises from the assassination to take control of the organization."

The Doctor nodded his head. "If he wasn't working all on his own, we'll find out. But, we have no idea where to look now. We just have to wait for something to happen again. This is what I warned Pete about. This is a very dangerous game to play."

Lewis added, "And if someone rises to power, they will probably be worse than Idles. Just to prove their point."

Legate whistled impressed, "This is really bad. What the hell were they thinking?"

The Doctor took Rose's hand and kissed it. "They were thinking they could solve the problem. I told Pete not to do something permanently stupid because he was temporarily upset."

Rose shook her head. "But this wasn't temporary. This had gone on for years. Before you even got here."

He nodded his head. "I know, sweetheart. That's why I'm having such a hard time really being angry about this. And I know I should be."

Jack looked surprised at him, "You mean, you agree with their decision?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "I've been up all night thinking about it, and I've decided that I do. It will push whoever is really responsible for this into the open, or bring another villain into the light. Or hopefully, it will be over."

Lewis pointed at him. "That sounds like Summus."

"Yeah, I've been chatting with him about it. He makes some good points. We're safer than we've ever been. The island has a force field on it that I don't even think anyone but myself and Lewis even know about."

They all looked surprised.

Tony made a point. "Well, I had to know because I was making everyone's watches."

The Doctor smiled, "That's right. And helped me and Lewis configure it. Thanks, mate."

Tony nodded his head. Arla looked up at Lewis and smiled.

He turned to Rose. "Jackie and Pete are at a higher security level than even Howie is. They couldn't be safer."

Rose looked at him. "But, still. The mansion."

He knew she was thinking about the vision where it burns down. "That could be an accident. It might not be terrorism."

Rose nodded her head. "Oh, I know what you mean now about seeing that stuff."

He smiled at her. "Not what you would think, is it?"

"Ugh." Rose complained.

"Okay, that's all I have on that at the moment. I plan to talk to Pete and Howie later. Thing number two. Lewis? Want to handle this now?" The Doctor asked.

Everyone looked surprised at Lewis.

Lewis smiled and nodded his head. "Go ahead."

The Doctor smiled, "Alright. On a much happier note, Lewis and Arla have decided to make this trip a very memorable one. They wish to marry before we return to Earth."

Everyone turned and sounds of happiness came from the group. Several of the men patted Lewis on the back and kissed Arla on the cheek.

The Doctor laughed as he looked over at Rose. "This is what you had to talk to him about?" she asked.

He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "No. It was something else. This just came up."

The Doctor turned back to the crowd. "Alright. In order for these two to get married, there are a few traditions that have to be observed. First order of business, a dress for Arla. Jack. Can you please take Rose and Arla down and get them whatever they need?"

Jack smiled, "I'd be happy to!"

Tony pointed at him, "Girls day! With lots of chocolate!"

Jack flipped him the bird and smiled.

The Doctor looked at Lewis. "Do you want to explain the Ten, and get that sorted now?"

Lewis nodded, "And as most of you know, a Quauhtin warrior is worth ten men. So, with each marriage, he has to choose ten men that will be responsible and take care of his wife and any children in the event he is unable to. All of the Ten have to come to his aid in any event that a major decision has to be made in the event he is unable to make it, and assist his bride in whatever she might ever need if she is widowed at any point."

Rose smiled, "Oh, that's interesting!"

Lewis smiled, "The ten men are picked in order of my choice of who will come to Arla's aid first. Lance, I know you plan to remain in the Guard for life, so I didn't think you would mind. I made The Doctor, 'One'."

Lance breathed out a sigh of relief. He patted Lewis on the shoulder, "This is your choice. I agree. Granted, I'd like to ask to be 'Two'."

Lewis smiled, "Of course. Poltious, I'd like you to be 'Three'."

Poltious smiled, "Happy to!"

Gobbo became 'Four', Legate became 'Five', Timon was named 'Six'.

Jack held up his hand, "Dude. I'll be 'Seven'."

Tony smiled, "I'll be 'Eight'."

Logan smiled, "I could be 'Nine'."

The Doctor rubbed his beard. "Damn. I thought we would have enough for this. Do they have to be present at the wedding?"

Lewis nodded his head, "Of course."

"Ugh. Damn it." The Doctor grumbled.

Rose asked, "Does it have to be a man? Really?"

Lewis held up his hand. "There are cases when women were allowed. Why? Would you be 'Ten'?"

Rose put her hands on her hips, "Lewis. I could be 'Ten' and 'Eleven'. I'm easily worth two men."

The Doctor raised his eyebrows as he looked back at the crowd. "That's true. And that's my wife, gentlemen."

Everyone laughed.

"Okay, that's sorted." The Doctor said.

Jack stopped him. "Hell no it's not! We'll have a Bachelor party prior to this. I've worked it all out. Don't even worry about it. Lewis, you'll love it. Arla. We'll bring him back in one piece. Well, mostly."

The Doctor looked surprised, "We already had a Bachelor party for Lewis."

"No, that was the warm up. This one will be even better." Jack promised.

The Doctor shook his head. "Oh, I'm not worrying about that right now. Whatever, Jack. Carry on with that."

Jack mumbled under his breath. "Hell yeah!"

The Doctor began to speak again. "Today has a lot going on. This morning, I'm going down to the planet's surface to see my patient. Logan. I'd like you to join me. Legate and Lance, could you also come with us?"

Legate smiled and nodded. "Certainly, Doc'."

Lance crossed his arms. "Happy to!"

The Doctor smiled, "Brilliant. Thank you, men. When Rose and I are both off the ship, Poltoius is in charge. Ask him if you need something. This afternoon is self defense training. Rose, could you help us with that?"

Rose nodded her head. "Sure. Well, would Logan be comfortable with that?"

Logan looked Rose. "Ummm.. Well, is The Doctor alright with that?"

The Doctor realized something and looked over at Rose. "I'm sorry, I forgot about you being so sore. That's probably not a good idea."

Rose patted his arm. "Let me see how I'm feeling this afternoon. Right now, I'm fine."

He smiled at her. "Alright." He looked back at the crowd. "If Rose isn't up to it, we'll do something else. Don't worry about it, Logan. We'll get you sorted."

Logan nodded his head.

Jack pointed at both of them. "Okay, that's not going to work."

The Doctor looked curious at Jack. "Why not?"

"Well, you're joined. If Rose is doing self defense and you're there, you're going to kill Logan."

The Doctor dropped his head. "Damn, he's right. I forgot about that."

At the look on Logan's face, The Doctor quickly added, "Logan I'll explain that later."

Rose waved her hand. "We will sort it out. Don't worry."

Tony held his hand up. "Hang on. What sort of self defense are you planning? I can show the kid how to fight. Let me get him started, and then you two take over. Sound good?"

The Doctor looked at Rose. "Thoughts?"

Rose nodded her head. "That could work. Sure. Thank you, Tony."

Tony smiled. "Yes! Logan. We're going to be doing some boxing and mixed martial arts this afternoon. You'll love it."

Jack laughed, "You're going to get your ass kicked, Logan."

Logan laughed, "I have five brothers, Jack."

Jack laughed and looked at Tony. "You're going to get your ass kicked, Tony."

Tony laughed, "Oh, bring that shit, kid."

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	9. Chapter 9 - Andromedaens

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Chapter 9 - Andromedaens

The Doctor walked down the hallway with Rose to the transporter room.

He brought her hand he held up to his mouth and kissed it. "You didn't have to come see me off."

"Oh, I wanted to." Rose told him as she smiled.

He stopped walking and faced her. He asked her quietly, "Will you be alright? I'm just down on the surface. I'm not really-"

"Oh, stop worrying about me. I know you are busy. Just be back tonight."

He looked at her lips and bit his bottom lip.

She could feel his emotions. She smiled, "Go on. I know you are about to ask if you can."

He chuckled as he pulled her close and kissed her. She rubbed his beard with both of her hands, as he gave her a proper snog.

Lance walked behind them with Jack. Jack sighed, "Seriously, Rose. The man is going to work, not to war."

They didn't break apart. The Doctor instead, waved his hand at Jack as if to say, "Go away."

Jack shook his head. "They have it bad. Gross. Let's take a walk, Lance."

Lance and Jack walked away.

The Doctor and Rose broke apart and started walking down the hall again. The Doctor exclaimed. "Woo! Brain working great."

Rose laughed at him. "So is your tongue. Wow."

He smiled as they walked into the transporter room. Legate, Logan and Lance were already there. Jack stood behind the controls. Rose joined him.

"I'm just on the planet if you need me." The Doctor told Rose.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Geez. I'll keep an eye on things. We have a full day planned. Stop worrying about her."

The Doctor smiled as he joined the others on the platform and nodded his head at Jack. They disappeared.

Jack turned to Rose. "Go get ready, Rose! We have a hot date!"

Rose laughed at him.

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The Doctor was walking next to Logan through the hospital's grand entryway. The walls were bright white with large windows. The beautiful day outside seemed to be pulled inside with the lovely trees that were planted throughout the Lobby. A huge fountain sat in the middle of the large room. Lance and Logan followed them. All of the men wore suits, but none as nice as the Doctor's.

The Doctor looked over at Logan. "These people are Andromedaens. They are the Royal family. There are some, ummm… protocol things I need to go over with you before we get up there."

Logan nodded his head as they continued to walk together. The Doctor could feel his nervousness. He stopped and faced Logan. "Hang on a bit." The Doctor looked him up and down, and straightened Logan's tie. "This is a nice suit, Logan."

"Legate loaned it to me." Logan told him. "I just had clothes from Basic."

The Doctor nodded, "Go out later and get yourself some suits. You'll need several this week. Try to get something you can wear when we get back to Earth. Nothing to….Plentitude."

Logan nodded, "Alright. Thank you."

They started walking again. The Doctor pointed at him. "You know, get some pants while you are here, too. They are so much more comfortable than the ones you can get back on Earth. If you don't trust me about anything else, trust me on that."

Logan's face broke into a smile. "Pants? Alright. I'll do that."

The Doctor smiled at him. "Don't worry about this, Logan. You'll do fine. Okay, protocol with the Andromedaen Royal family. You will be expected to shake hands with males, but don't touch any female. Don't even shake her hand. A female can only be touched by her mate, or someone her mate or father approves of. Think, Victorian values. You'll be fine. That's the main thing."

Logan looked surprised. "How are you going to help this girl if you can't touch her?"

The Doctor smiled, "I'm The Doctor. The rules are a bit different for me. Although, I still have to ask permission."

They went to a lift and got inside. The door closed. The Doctor continued his conversation. "That's probably a good rule in general. I think it's that way for most of the Universe. Don't touch a female without permission."

Lance chuckled, "Oh, my brother could have saved himself a lot of heartache had he known that rule."

They all laughed.

The Doctor turned to Lance. "We never talk about your love life, Lance-"

"And we don't need to." Lance assured him.

Legate and Logan laughed.

The lift dinged and the door opened. The Doctor looked over at Logan. "Just smile. Be polite. Just be you. You'll be fine. Don't worry about anything, Logan."

Logan took a deep breath and nodded his head. "Got it."

The Doctor walked up to a desk. A Cat Nun sat there. She looked up. "Oh! Doctor Smith! Welcome back to Plentitude! It's lovely to see you again."

The Doctor smiled and bowed his head to her. "Matron Chetheo. I'm so happy to be here."

Matron Chetheo stood up and grabbed a tablet. "How is your father?"

The Doctor smiled, "Pete is my wife's father. He is doing great, thank you."

She smiled at him. "Come, let me introduce you." She turned and walked down the hall. They followed.

The Doctor looked over at Logan. "Are you alright?"

He nodded that he was. "Rose prepared me for this. I'm alright."

The Doctor smiled. "That was a good idea. She found this rather surprising."

The Cat Nun knocked on the door that was guarded by two soldiers outside. She waited until someone came to open the door. "Doctor Smith has arrived."

The door opened wide and they were all allowed to come in. The room was large and very sterile looking with the white walls, floor and furniture. A man met them who was dressed in long, black robes. He could have passed for a human. He had a long, white beard and not one hair on his head. He approached them as he seemed to glide across the floor. Logan wondered if he even walked. The man spoke in a very, deep voice. "Doctor Smith. It is my deepest honor to meet you."

The Doctor shook his hand and bowed his head. "The honor is mine, your majesty. Thank you for making the journey."

The King smiled proudly, "My name is Clagl. You may call me that. My son tells me has already met you. He's here for the Tractusequum." He leaned in and told the Doctor quietly, "In all honestly, I don't think my daughter is that bad. I was happy to come for the Tractusequum, myself."

They both laughed as the King lead him over to the bed were a beautiful teenage girl lay, sleeping. A woman sat next to the bed, holding the girl's hand. The Queen wore long robes that seemed to be made nothing but white lace. As the sunlight came into the windows and reflected off of her dress, it had a breathtaking effect. She looked almost magical sitting there. She looked up and smiled at the Doctor. "Doctor Smith."

He smiled and bowed his head to her. "Your majesty."

King Clagl held out his hand, "May I present my Queen Oen. A more precious creature, I've never found."

The Doctor smiled as he thought of Rose. "And your daughter?"

Queen Oen nodded sadly. "This is our Ashena. She's sleeping."

The Doctor put on his glasses and looked at her. "Natural sleep. Not sedation, right?"

The King shook his head. "No. Well, they gave her some medicine, I'm not sure if it's making her sleep or not."

The Doctor shook his head, "I've looked over everything. Nothing would be making her sleep. I'll need to touch her. All honorable. I'm a touch telepath. But, I want to formally ask permission."

The King smiled and nodded his head. "Thank you for observing our customs. You may. My son seems to have formed a good option of you."

The Doctor smiled as he laid his hand on Ashena's forehead. He seemed to listen to her thoughts. "Oh wow. You've got some cowboys in here."

He took his hand off of her head and looked back at the Queen. "Well, first thing we need to do it figure out her illness. Then we will sort out her mind. There's a device I have that will keep her thoughts leveled until she can do it on her own. I'll have one of the nurses put it on her."

The Queen asked, "I know you said you looked over everything they have already done, do you have any idea?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "I do. Several theories. Is anyone else sick?"

The King shook his head. "No. She's the only one."

The Doctor crossed his arms and sighed. "Well, that's good news."

"How is that good news?" Queen Oen asked.

"That means she's not contagious. She's not running a fever now, either. Which also confirms that. You don't have to be careful about who's around her."

King Clagl nodded his head. "That's a relief."

The Cat Nun handed The Doctor the tablet. "This has all of the current tests and records on it."

He thanked her.

King Clagl looked back at Logan, Legate and Lance. "Foetist said you have Quauhtin, Doctor Smith. Are all of those men Quauhtin?"

The Doctor smiled, "I apologize. I should introduce you. That's two of the Quauhtin Prime Guard there, Legate and Lance. And the young man there is my companion, Logan. Well, no companion isn't the right word. Apprentice. Yeah, that's more like it. Logan is my apprentice."

King Clagl moved to them and shook their hands. He pointed at Lance. "You look familiar to me. Do I know you?"

Lance looked surprised. "No, your majesty. I don't believe we've met."

King Clagl pointed at Lance. "I can't put my finger on it. You look familiar to me. Oh, well. We have Quauhtin in our service as well. They are all on the ship at the moment. Our regular soldiers are here now."

The Doctor looked up from the tablet. "Now, I've never thought about having regular bodyguards mixed in with the Prime Guard. That's interesting. Summus would probably never go for that at all."

King Clagl became excited. "You know Summus?!"

The Doctor nodded his head. "He's back at my home. He was injured guarding my wife's father last night. He will be fine."

The door opened and Prince Foetist walked in. "Oh, Doctor Smith! Nice to see you again."

King Clagl held his hand out to welcome his son. "Foetist. Doesn't this Quauhtin look familiar to you?"

Lance looked at The Doctor and rolled his eyes. He asked The Doctor in his head, _'What is this old man on about?'_

The Doctor smiled as he looked over the tablet. _'Be nice, Lance.'_

Prince Foetist looked at Lance and smiled. "He looks like Licio, a bit."

Lance uncrossed his arms at the remark and looked at Foetist in surprise. "I'm sorry, did you say Licio?"

Prince Foetist nodded his head. "Yeah. Doctor Smith said a couple of friends of his knew Licio. Was that you?"

Lance laughed and looked at The Doctor. "Now I know why you wanted me to come down. Yes. I know Licio. Does he serve your family?"

Prince Foetist smiled, "He primarily guards me, but he is on a bit of a holiday. Recovering from a ….. ummm…. bad decision of mine." The Prince looked quickly back to his father.

Lance smiled, "I'd be so happy to see him. If it's no trouble."

Prince Foetist smiled. "It's no trouble at all. I'll send for him. Who should I tell him has asked to see him?"

Lance thought for a minute as he looked back at The Doctor who was watching the exchange. Lance decided and spoke. "Please tell him that our brother, Lewis, has gathered his Ten."

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	10. Chapter 10 – Diagnosis

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Chapter 10 – Diagnosis

Rose was on the ship in her suite. She was wearing a dress she had gotten the night before when she and The Doctor had gone shopping. It was blue, knee length dress with short sleeves. There was an inch gap at the shoulders where there appeared to not be any material at all. She was looking in the bigger than the inside suitcase for some blue trainers she was sure she had packed.

She heard something beeping. She rose up her head. "What is that?"

It beeped again. "Friday? What is making that beeping noise?"

Friday spoke. "There is a call for you, ma'am. It's been routed through the ship."

Rose looked confused. "Alright. Answer it then."

Friday spoke. "Very good, ma'am. It will appear on the main screen in the sitting room."

Rose looked at the screen in the sitting room that Lewis had watched football on the night before. Pete appeared on the screen. As soon as he saw Rose, he smiled. "Well, hello!"

Rose smiled as she sat down on the sofa, "Hi there Dad! How are you?"

"Oh, I'm just fine! How's my…..well, everyone?"

Rose laughed, "Everyone is fine. Tony is in the hanger with Stark. They seem to have big ideas about something."

Pete rolled his eyes. "Oh, well….I'm not worrying about that until it's something I need to worry about."

Rose giggled, "Sounds like what someone else said this morning about it."

"And how is that someone? Is he as pissed as I think he is?" Pete asked.

Rose sat down on the sofa. "Dad. What happened? I mean, I know what happened, but why?"

Pete shook his head. "It was time. Howie said he's not been able to sleep since they took Jacob and Tony back months ago. He is tired of living in fear and doesn't want to have to answer the phone to hear he's lost someone. I can't say I blame him."

"So, they were planning to kill Howie and Caroline?" Rose asked.

Pete nodded his head. "The entire Presidential family. So, Jacob, too. Howie had just had enough."

Rose looked at Pete in disbelief. "How could Howie even do that? Is it legal?"

Pete rose his eyebrows at her. "Howie can do whatever the hell he really wants to. You forget his occupation, Rose."

Rose bit her lip. "Tell me Dad. When did Howie call you for the meeting? Was it before we left?"

Pete ran his hand through his recently trimmed hair. Rose noticed he had Caroline cut it differently. She pointed at him. "Wow! Your hair is really different!"

He smiled and waved his hand. "It was all white and silver, so I had her trim it really short. I'm not going to color it like Jack's wants. This is better."

Rose smiled at him. "You look like a Marine."

He smiled, "That's what Jack's said. So, how are the children enjoying space?"

Rose pointed at him. "No, you've not answered my question. Did you know about this before we left?"

Pete sighed. "Ugh. I managed to avoid telling The Doctor this last night. Yeah. I knew about it before I even transported up to the moon. I saw you lot off and then went to Washington."

Rose shook her head. "Oh, geez. He's going to be pissed."

"Does he have to know?"

Rose held her hands out. "He always does! Have you met him?"

"Handle that for me then, Rose. I need him happy with me because we're going to close a deal when he gets back on-"

"Dad! I don't think this is my fight." Rose told him. "Believe me. I stay in enough trouble on my own."

"Yeah, but he likes you a lot better than he does me." Pete teased her.

Rose pointed at him. "That is unfair."

"That is life, child." Pete told her.

Rose sighed, "I'm going to tell him. And he's going to be proper cross, but at you."

Pete dropped his head, "Rose Tyler. Really?" He thought for a few moments, then snapped his fingers, "I've got it, Agent Tyler! I have decided that he doesn't need to know right now."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "Yes, Director. I'll be sure to get approval from the other Director as soon as I can."

Pete sighed. "Okay, whatever. He's got to find out anyway. Might as well get it over with."

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

The Doctor sat in a brightly lit laboratory. He had taken off his jacket, laid it on the back of a chair and was looking at a screen that was as big as the entire wall. Graphs, text written in several different languages and fonts, records and all information regarding Princess Ashena was displayed all over the huge screen. He sat back in a chair, wearing his glasses, looking over everything as he rubbed his beard.

Logan sat behind him sipping some tea. Legate and Lance sat in the back of the lab throwing a small, electric ball to one another from across the room.

The Doctor pushed his glasses up on his forehead and rubbed his eyes. "This makes no sense at all. It's one thing, then it's another."

Logan shook his head. "That's all you. I'm only trained in First Aid."

"Well, it's the same basic thing. Granted, I'm not trying to make you a doctor. Don't worry about that."

Logan sipped his tea. "Good. I don't know if I have the stomach for that or not. Or the smarts."

The Doctor chuckled as he pulled his glasses back down to look at something closer.

"Finally getting comfortable enough around me to be cheeky. Good. I'm not going to bite you, Logan." The Doctor reassured him as he looked back to see Legate and Lance throwing a ball around.

"You nutters! There are live viruses in here! Stop that!" He fussed at them.

Lance looked at the ball. "It's a Nerro ball. It won't hurt anything."

The Doctor shook his head as he looked back at the huge screen and ran his hands through his hair. "Ugh. It's right in front of me. Why can't I see this?"

Logan asked, "Need some tea?"

"Yeah, thank you. That could help." The Doctor said as he returned to looking at the screen. He slid his hands across the screen. It caused papers to flip.

Meanwhile, Legate and Lance had gone back to tossing the ball to one another. Logan saw them and smiled as he brought The Doctor a cuppa. He stood and watched as The Doctor swiped the papers on the screen very quickly.

"Are you looking for something or-"

"Reading. I'm reading." The Doctor answered annoyed. "Damn, this thing is slow."

Logan raised his eyebrow. "Slow? Alright. Here have some tea and take a break. You've been at this for a while."

The Doctor took the tea and thanked him. As he turned his chair around, Legate quickly caught the ball and sipped it into his pocket. Lance smiled at him.

Legate smiled, "Try not to think about it for five minutes. Then the answer will come to you, Doc'. That's how everything seems to work with you."

"That's true. Ugh. What the hell was Pete and Howie thinking? You know what? I bet they knew about that before we left. That's the reason he was so…..affectionate because he knew when I found out, I'd be pissed."

Lance nodded his head. "Funny you go just straight to that. I've always found Pete to be extremely affectionate to you."

The Doctor looked at Legate. "Do you see that?"

"Well, yeah. He talks to you the way my father talks to me."

The Doctor looked at Logan. "Your opinion?"

"I've not been around him enough to know." Logan replied.

"Diplomatic." Legate teased.

Lance agreed. "Very tactful."

Logan shrugged his shoulders, "Well! He asked."

The Doctor shook his head as he stood up and stretched his back. He walked around the room. "Damn."

Lance asked him, "Sore back?"

"Yeah, I held Sam most of the night so he would sleep." The Doctor told them as he sipped his tea.

"I thought he slept rather well." Legate said.

"Oh, he does. I accidently woke him up in the middle of the night, so I held him so Rose could sleep. I lost track of time and ended up holding him most of the night. I was just consumed in my own thoughts."

Lance pointed at him, "If you do find out that Pete knew about this before we left, what are you going to do?"

The Doctor sipped his tea. "I don't know. It's the only thing that really makes sense. I mean, nothing can be done about it now."

Legate laughed, "You could get Howie drunk and ask him."

"Phhhh…. I need Pete to translate for me. Geez." The Doctor reminded them.

Logan looked at Legate. "I thought you said he spoke every language in the Universe?"

The Doctor smiled as he looked back at Logan. "I do. Every language except that crazy cockney rhyming slang Jackie Tyler speaks, and that damn Texan cowboy slang Howie speaks when he's ummm… as he puts it, 'shot in the neck.'"

Legate looked confused, "Shot in the neck?"

The Doctor smiled as he sipped his tea, "Yeah, that's what happens after he 'paints his nails' for a while. Hell, maybe I'm learning it."

Logan nodded as he looked at the screen and drank his tea. "What is this? Blue rash? Is that what it says?"

The Doctor looked surprised. "You can read that?"

Logan nodded his head. "Yeah. It looks like Italian to me. I'm sure it's not."

"You can speak Italian?" The Doctor asked.

Logan smiled, "My Dad was Italian. Why do you think my mother has to stay one step ahead of all of us?"

The Doctor looked impressed. "I'm giving that woman a raise. She's invaluable to me."

Logan laughed quietly.

Legate wasn't letting it go. "Wait, he can read Andromedaen? What?"

The Doctor smiled, "Italian, French, Spanish and the romance languages of Earth are based on Latin. So are a few languages out in the stars. Andromedaen for example. Wow. Well spotted, Logan."

Lance gave Logan a thumbs up. "Good job, Logan!"

Logan nodded, "What is this, here with your name? It says, 'Terra'."

The Doctor looked at what Logan had pointed out. "That is a note someone made about my whereabouts. Terra, or Terrae is what Earth is sometimes called among the people of the Universe. Interestingly enough, it means Earth in Latin."

Legate nodded his head at the statement. "Yes, in Quauhtin, humans are called 'Terris'."

The Doctor sipped his tea, "See, and that means 'from the Earth' or 'with the Earth' in the original Latin. Well, in plural form."

Logan looked back at Legate and shook his head. "So, I'm Terris?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No, you are Terrian. Granted, that's a departure from the original Latin. In Latin, you would have been 'Terrae'. You know, I don't think I've ever explained this to Rose. I bet she would find this interesting."

Lance spun around in his chair.

The Doctor sat back down in the chair and rubbed his beard. "Most of this can be explained as a side effect from medications she had been on. Except the blue rash. And these terrible migraine headaches. And the memory gaps."

Because The Doctor was distracted again looking at the huge screen and sipping his tea, Legate and Lance starting throwing the ball back and forth again.

Logan looked back at them and smiled, "What could cause a blue rash? That's odd."

"Not for an Andromedaen. That could be several different things." The Doctor told him.

Logan sat down behind the Doctor to keep him from seeing Legate and Lance tossing the ball. "List all of the reasons. That might help you work this out."

"Well, an allergic reaction. Maybe to something she ate, or came in contact with. That's most likely. I wish I could see a picture of it. That would explain this a lot more."

"A blue rash. That sounds like Hig Nag. But, only children get that." Legate said.

The Doctor shook his head. "It's not Hig Nag. She's how old, Logan?"

"Sixteen, no. Seventeen." Logan told him.

"Yeah, that's usually for children under five. And they said no one else had it." The Doctor reasoned.

Legate nearly fell out of his chair to catch the ball. Logan looked back at them and laughed quietly. The Doctor asked Logan, "Flip some stuff around and see if you can find me a picture of that rash."

Logan sat down his tea as he stood up and tapped and slid his hands around. The Doctor looked, too. After a few minutes, Logan spoke. "There. Those words again."

The Doctor stood up and walked to where Logan stood. He tapped a few things on the screen and saw a picture of a blue rash.

The Doctor exclaimed. "Holy shit, it is Hig Nag! But, why doesn't she have it now?"

Legate was busy tossing the ball to Lance. "It's moved on!"

The Doctor was looking at a scan of her head. "Along with these migraines. They've only gotten worse. Unless. No…"

"Headaches are a sign of telepathic awaking." Lance told him.

"Andromedaens aren't telepathic." The Doctor told them.

Lance caught the ball. "Neither are Terrians. But, Rose is."

Logan looked surprised at the Doctor. "Rose is telepathic?"

The Doctor rubbed his chin as he continued to look at the brain scans. "Yes. And several other things, as well. It's not telepathic awaking."

Logan looked back at Legate and Lance tossing the ball. The Doctor sat and looked over everything as he sipped his tea. After a few minutes, he exclaimed, "This is Hig Nag! It's moved into her brain! Wow! I've never heard of that happening!"

The Doctor turned around. Lance quickly slipped the ball in his pocket. "Hig Nag? Really? People still get that?"

"Have you had it?" The Doctor asked Lance.

"No. I had a vaccine when I was a boy." Lance told them. "We all did."

Legate nodded his head. "I had it. Terrible case of it. I have scars down one of my legs. I tell people it was from a ship crash, though."

The Doctor pointed at Logan. "Have you had it?"

Logan shook his head. "I have no idea what it is."

The Doctor closed his eyes tightly and shook his head. "No. It's not Hig Nag on Earth. It's more like…..ummm…."

"Chicken pox?" Logan helped.

"YES! Similar, but different. A lot more aggressive. Instead of just having a rash, the rash will start to eat your skin. This is bad. Actually, I don't trust this. Even if you have had it, I'm not letting you back around anyone else from Earth until you get a vaccine for this Logan."

Logan groaned. "Space Flesh Eating Chicken Pox. Wow."

Lance laughed at him, "Ha! Guess who's going to get a shot!"

Logan rolled his eyes. "Are you serious about this?"

The Doctor stood up and put back on his jacket. "Of course I am. Legate, stay with him down here. Lance and I will return to the ship and I'll make up the vaccine. It will take a bit to get it ready, so you two have lunch down here in the hospital. Keep an eye on Princess in case I'm needed. Sound good? Plus, it will make her family feel better."

"And give Logan more experience with someone not human." Legate smiled.

"And Quauhtin. See, lots of positives here." The Doctor agreed.

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	11. Chapter 11 - Lunch on Plentitude

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Chapter 11 - Lunch on Plentitude

The Doctor walked back into the Princess' room with Legate, Logan and Lance. The Cat Nun walked over and hung a bag of medicine behind the Princess' bed. The King was thrilled to find out that the Doctor had managed to find the solution to Princess Ashena's illness. "With this medicine, we'll be able to tell if I'm right within moments. We'll get her well, and then we'll sort out the damage the illness has created. She'll make a complete recovery. But, I'm glad we are treating it now. It would have been worse had we even waited another day." He told them.

King Clagl smiled. "My wife will be thrilled. She has only just left her side. She is awake, please allow me to introduce you."

They walked over to the bed. King Clagl patted The Doctor on the back. "Ashena, this is Doctor Smith. He believes he has found out what is wrong with you."

Ashena smiled up at him. The light from the window reflected off of her long, white hair and white gown. She almost appeared to glow. She wore a metal band on her head. "Thank you, Doctor Smith. I truly hope you are right."

He smiled at her. "I'm leaving two of my men down here. I imagine you can use the company and they can keep an eye on things. They will alert me if I need to return in a hurry. I have the ability to pop directly here."

Ashena looked behind him. "Who are leaving with me?"

He smiled and pointed at Legate, "This is Legate. He is one of the members of the Prime Guard. A Quauhtin. He can entertain you with stories of his adventures. He's pretty interesting."

Legate smiled, "I'd be happy to Princess."

The Doctor then turned to Logan. "And this is my apprentice, Logan. Ask him about pulling a space craft out of a Phantom Gravity Well yesterday that measured 45.3."

King Clagl covered his mouth and exclaimed. "45.3! How are you even still alive?!"

Logan smiled at the King. "I have a really, good teacher."

The Doctor smiled, "Would that be alright with you, King Clagl?"

The King nodded, "Sounds perfect. Thank you, Doctor Smith."

The Doctor looked back at Princess Ashena, "How are you feeling?"

Princess Ashena smiled, "I really feel a lot better. I'm not dizzy at all. I think this headband might be working, too. I've been able to talk to my father."

The King smiled. "She's been more herself in the past hour than she's been in weeks."

The Doctor smiled. "Brilliant. Legate, Logan. Let me know if you need me or anything changes." He turned to the King and explained, "Because some of my crew hasn't had this illness, I need to vaccine my entire ship before I have a really big problem. I have a son who is only two weeks old and this could be a fatal disease for him. I'm not sure how his system would react to it."

King Clagl nodded, "I completely understand. Take care of that and I'll return to my ship to notify the Queen. Oh, Doctor Smith! There's someone I would like to introduce you to. Someone you have mentioned."

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxxXxxxx

Rose, Arla, Lewis, Genie and Jack all sat in a restaurant that sat on a dock on the river near the Arrival Park. It was a beautiful, cool day and the breeze blew gently. They were all laughing about some story that Jack had just told. Even Genie was laughing and seemed to be enjoying herself. She jumped when someone behind her gently pulled her hair.

"What are you doing down here on this planet, my child?"

Genie looked up at The Doctor's face and smiled. "Daddy! What are you doing here?"

Rose was surprised and stood up to hug him. "You!? I thought you were working?"

He kissed her quickly, "Got room for three more? I'm waiting on something to finish mixing together."

Jack jumped up and pulled three more seats to the table they were sitting at. Genie saw Lance and another man walking next to him. She pointed at him. "Lewis! He looks just like you!"

Lewis stood up in shock. "Licio! Really?"

Licio smiled as he walked over and embraced Lewis. The men greeted one another in Quauhtin. "My brother. I hear you are gathering your Ten. Is your bride here?"

Lewis held his hand out to introduce her, "My bride, Arla. This is my brother, Licio."

Arla held out her hand, and Licio kissed it as he said. "It is my absolute pleasure."

Licio, Lance and Lewis all sat down next to Jack and Arla.

The Doctor sat next to Rose. Genie had climbed into his lap to hug him. He was busy playfully kissing her cheek over and over. "I am surprised to see you down here, Little One. You are braver than I thought."

Genie laughed and wiped her face. "Jack and Lewis took me, Arla and Mum shopping."

The Doctor smiled at her. "Shopping, huh? What have you bought for yourself?"

Genie smiled, "Clothes, but look at these shoes! Mum got some just like them!"

He looked at her feet as she showed him some purple shoes that seemed to wrap around her feet. "Those look extremely comfortable. Are they?"

She smiled at him. "Yes! Mum said you would like them."

He looked back at Rose. "Your mum knows me too well."

Rose smiled at him. "See. Not heels."

He chuckled at them. "So, shoes and clothes. Huh?"

Genie nodded her head. "Yes, Daddy. I'll show you everything later. Jack said I should do a fashion show."

"A fashion show! That would be fun! I look forward to it!" he told her.

The waiter came over and took all of their drink orders.

The Doctor turned and looked at Rose. She was looking at Licio and Lewis. He reached up tucked her hair behind her ear. She smiled as she turned back to look at him.

"What was that for?" She asked.

"I couldn't see you. Your hair was in the way." He told her.

She smiled at him.

As the waiter left, Licio smiled. "We appear to be just in time!"

The Doctor smiled, "And that's a good thing because I'm hungry!" He playfully bit Genie's cheek. She laughed as he held her tightly and laughed.

Jack smiled, "You look exactly like Lewis, Licio. I'm sorry, I'm Jack. Friend of the family."

Licio nodded to him. "Nice to meet you." He pointed at Rose. "This is your wife, Doctor?"

The Doctor smiled, "It is. This is Rose. And this is our daughter, Genie."

Licio smiled at them both. "Lovely ladies indeed. This table speaks well of Earth."

Rose smiled, "Well, thank you Licio. I'm so happy you joined us."

The Doctor smiled, "Licio is part of the Quauhtin Guard that serves the Andromedaens."

Licio smiled, "Yes. I've been with them for eleven years. Primarily guarding Prince Foetist."

Lewis smiled. "That's great!"

Licio smiled, "I can't believe you and Lance are together on the same detail. Who is your primary?"

Lewis nodded at The Doctor. "Normally, I have The Doctor. But, he has let me take a bit of a holiday since we brought Arla with us."

Arla looked back at Lewis. "It has been wonderful."

Licio smiled and looked at Lance. "So, you are working backup?"

Lance nodded as he leaned on the table. "Yeah. I only joined five months ago. I just help out where I'm needed. Sometimes I'm with him, or the matriarch, or whoever needs me. We don't have soldiers to help out. It's just us."

Licio smiled, "That's great! Both of you with the Prime Guard. And Summus. Wow!"

Genie looked up at The Doctor. "Daddy. There are two Lewises, are their two Lances?"

They all laughed. Lewis looked back at Licio. "Everyone always has had a hard time telling us apart. Lance and Luce favor, too. But, not as much."

The waiter returned and poured them all wine. Genie was given a glass of some sort of juice.

Lewis smiled at her. "Kid wine, Genie!"

Licio rose his glass. "To King Clagl and Doctor Smith! Two great men with families worthy of a Quauhtin's protection."

The Doctor smiled as he looked back at Rose and they all drank.

The Doctor looked back at Licio. "Oh! Licio, and….?"

Licio smiled, "Right! And to the wonderful gift I've been asked to inform you of for your wedding, my brother! King Clagl has sent a messenger to fetch Luce. He should be here tomorrow afternoon."

Lewis was speechless.

Jack however was not. "Holy shit! Wow! All four of them together? Brilliant!"

The Doctor drank his wine and smiled at Rose. "Jack. Can you have a Bachelor party ready by then?"

Jack patted the table. "Oh, without question."

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	12. Chapter 12 - Telepathic Kissing

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Chapter 12 - Telepathic Kissing

They had enjoyed themselves through lunch. Licio proved to be as friendly and likeable as his brothers. Genie ate lunch while sitting in The Doctor's lap. She told them all about the strange creatures she had seen that day. As it turned out, Lewis and Jack had to take turns carrying her, or letting her sit in their lap to feel comfortable. After learning that, The Doctor didn't try to get her to sit in her own seat anymore.

He told Genie, "I've got to go back to the ship in…. 12 minutes. I can take you with me so you will feel safe again."

Genie waved her hands to excuse him. "I feel safe, Daddy. But, I might be a bit ready to go play with Jacob and Tony."

He smiled, "Of course. No question of your bravery, my Sara Gene. I'm so proud of you for coming down to the surface and walking among other people. What do you think?"

Genie tapped her lips and thought. "There are a lot of people here that look like us, Daddy. But, some people really don't. They are just normal people, even if they do look different."

Jack poured himself some more wine, "And that is a very important lesson."

Lewis agreed. "Very good observation, Genie."

The Doctor looked back at Rose. "Is that alright? Shall I take her back for you? You lot continue shopping?"

Rose smiled at him. "It's fine. Sam's still sleeping, otherwise I'd return now with you."

"Jack, take Rose back when she's done. Don't let her walk around too much, her legs were sore last night."

Rose rolled her eyes. She looked at Licio. "See what happens when you are married to The Doctor?"

Licio laughed, "You know, you could probably answer a question for me. And this is going to sound, very strange. No judgment?"

Lewis and Lance laughed.

The Doctor smiled at them. "Oh, do you know what this is about?"

Lewis smiled, "A woman! Right?"

Licio shrugged his shoulders, "Well, what else is there to think about?"

The Doctor smiled, "What is your question, Licio?"

Licio bit his lip. "Alright. Medically speaking. Is there reason a telepath would want to be kissed all of the time? Like _ALL_ of the time."

Rose smiled as she crossed her arms and turned to face the Doctor. "Oh, please do answer this. I'm curious to know as well."

Jack laughed as he propped his head on his fist, "I will hang on his every word."

Lewis chucked, "Oh this is a brilliant question! Thank you, Licio."

Lance crossed his arms and laughed. "This will be good."

The Doctor looked around the table and blushed. "Really? I feel like I'm being backed in a corner here."

Licio looked at them all. "I feel like I stumbled into something-"

"Oh, something great I assure you. Something we have probably all wondered." Jack told him.

The Doctor looked at Genie. "Do you see all of these people picking on your Daddy? Do you?"

Genie shook her head at him. "It's just a question, Daddy."

He sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Medically speaking, yes."

Licio seemed happy. "Right! Alright. Thanks."

Jack wasn't. "Hold on. Explain that."

Rose patted his thigh. "You're not getting out of this. Tell us."

Jack crossed his arms. "Licio, we have to see these two kissing all of the time and both of them are telepaths. This is a brilliant question. Something I've not thought about."

Licio nodded, "Oh. I see."

The Doctor explained. "Kissing. Sensual kissing has medical benefits to everyone. It increases the level of oxytocin, which is a hormone that produces a feeling of peace and calms you. Now, for telepaths, particularly very strong telepaths, they hear voices in their heads all of the time. So, if they engage in sensual kissing, I'm talking really steamy stuff, it will stop all of the noise in their mind briefly. Reduces the anxiety that tends to build up with those individuals."

Jack stared at The Doctor. "Huh. Really?"

The Doctor looked at Rose. "Oh yes. Do you experience that when we kiss?"

Rose thought for a moment. "Well, yeah. But, I've not thought about it. Interesting. Do you?"

He smiled like a loon. "Oh, hell yeah. It's the only time my head is ever quiet. Well, then and …."

Jack waved his hand. "Please. I can guess. Don't continue."

Licio was fascinated. "Really? Then, too?"

The Doctor nodded his head, "Kissing works great to quiet your head, but." The Doctor looked at Genie who was hanging on his every word. "Ummm… other stuff works even better. You know?"

Licio nodded. "I'm following you. Wow."

The Doctor added, "Now empaths feel that even more. Is your girl empathic?"

Licio shook his head. "I'm not sure."

Rose patted his thigh. "Empaths, continue."

He smiled, "Well, because you feel what the other person is feeling. And because you are touching in a sensitive place, it is even stronger. More feelings come through the more sensitive of an area is that is touched. And if both of you are touching, using sensitive areas….."

Rose thought about it. "That's true. I've never thought about that. We need to chat later."

The Doctor looked at her and smiled like a loon. He asked in her head, _'How sensitive of an area will we be using to chat with?'_

Rose playfully smacked him.

He smiled as he stood up holding Genie. "Lance. I'll go ahead. Please do me a favor and give everyone an injection of the vaccine I'll leave on the transporter control panel. Especially Rose, Jack, and Arla. I'll handle everyone else up there."

Lance nodded his head. "Sure! Taken care of."

Jack asked him, "What are we getting vaccinated to keep from getting?"

The Doctor stood behind Rose. "Hig Nag. Princess Ashena has a severe case of Hig Nag. Legate just let me know she's doing great. She's sitting up in bed and laughing."

Jack made a face. "I've had that. Do I still need to get vaccinated?"

The Doctor thought. "I think all of us should be just to be safe. I'm not sure how Sam, Rose, Genie, or Arla will react to it if they had it."

Jack nodded his head. "No problem. Go mix your weird medicine and I'll continue my date with your wife."

The Doctor rolled his eyes at Jack. He leaned down and kissed Rose. "Don't overdo it again. Have Jack bring you back. You will fuss at me later for not telling you this."

She smiled up at him, "I'll be fine. I'll see you soon, Genie."

Genie leaned down and kissed Rose. "Bye."

As The Doctor walked out of the restaurant with Genie in his arms, they both turned to wave to the table.

Licio smiled, "Genie is beautiful. She will be a beautiful woman. Has he promised her to anyone, yet?"

Jack chuckled. "Oh, damn I wish you had asked that when he was here! Rose what would he had said to that?"

Rose giggled and shook her head. "I have no idea and I'm not going to ask him. Wow!"

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	13. Chapter 13 – Lock-Down at the Hospital

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Chapter 13 – Lock-Down at the Hospital

The Doctor walked back into Princess Ashena's hospital room. She sat up in the hospital bed with a wide smile on her face. Legate, Logan and Princess Ashena were playfully tossing the electric ball to one another as they chatted. Legate and Logan had both taken off their jackets and hung them on the back of the chairs. Logan had rolled up the sleeves of his oxford to make himself more comfortable. Two relaxed soldiers sat in the corner of the large room.

One of the soldiers stood up to greet him, "Well, hello Doctor Smith. King Clagl sends his apologies that he was called away on other matters."

The Doctor smiled and waved his hand, "It's no problem at all. Thank you." He walked over to stand beside of Princess Ashena's bed. "You seem to be doing a lot better."

She smiled at him. "I feel better than I have in weeks. Thank you so much for leaving Logan and Legate with me. They have entertained me with such stories! Things I could have never imagined."

The Doctor looked at Legate and Logan. He smiled, "What stories have they been entertaining you with?"

Princess Ashena laughed, "All about the adventures of Han Solo and his family. Amazing. They said it's all fiction, but it is very interesting. Especially, the extremely frightening Darth Vader. I am confused though. The one they called Chewbacca? He sounds like a Kouddyk."

The Doctor laughed. "Yes. He looks just like that. But, he doesn't speak. He just….ummm…. growls. But, Han Solo can understand everything he says."

Princess Ashena nodded and smiled. "It's a wonderful story."

Legate caught the ball that Princess Ashena tossed to him with a smile. "Get everything mixed together, Doc'?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yep! I even had time to have lunch with Licio and his brothers, Lance and Lewis."

Princess Ashena laughed, "I never knew Licio had brothers. I've known him almost my entire life. And to find out one is marrying. I'm so happy for them!"

The Doctor walked over to Logan stood up in front of him. They watched as he gave Logan an injection. "Give that a few minutes in case it reacts. I want to keep an eye on it."

Logan nodded his head. "Sure, Doc'." Legate threw him back the small ball which he narrowly avoided getting hit in the face with. He caught it quickly in his hand.

The Doctor looked back at Legate in surprise. Then looked at Logan. "Good catch, Logan! Good reflexes."

The Doctor turned back to Princess Ashena. "So, feeling better? Tell me, do you know where you are?"

Princess Ashena smiled, "Of course. We're on Plentitude. It's the Tractusequum tomorrow night. My brother and father never miss it."

The Doctor smiled. "Right. Do you plan to see it?"

She shook her head. "Not if I can get out of it."

He chuckled at her. "I'd like to talk to you about these headaches you are having. Can you tell me about them?"

She leaned back in the bed and thought, "They are very painful. Feels like a sword has been put through my head as my hair is being pulled."

"Does light make them worse?"

"No. If I stare into a bright light, such as a nearby star, it will help."

He looked surprised. "Really?"

"My mother finds it strange, too. She always brings me away from the windows. She thinks it will damage my eyes."

He nodded his head, "Your mum is clever. It will. Don't look into a star. Have you had any pain in your head since you have been here?"

She pointed at the metal band she wore on her head. "Not since you had them put this on my head. It seems to be helping everything. I feel like I can think clearly."

He smiled. "Don't worry. I'll get you sorted out so it's not a permanent accessory. Your body needs time to heal from the illness first though."

She smiled at him.

"How long have the headaches been happening?"

She thought, "I'm really not sure. Since the beginning of summer, but it has gotten worse."

Just then, a loud buzzer went off and an orange light started blinking on the wall next to the door. The soldiers jumped straight out of their chairs, as did Logan and Legate. The Doctor sighed, "Oh, geez. This would have to happen now."

Legate looked at him. "What is it?"

"A quarantine. Lock-down. Isolation. The Matron will be in shortly to explain to us what is going on. It's all protocol." He explained calmly.

The soldiers looked back at him and nodded their heads. The Doctor pointed at them. "Only allow the Matron in the door in the event it's something else."

"Yes, sir!" One of the soldiers told him as Legate quickly held up a finger.

"Doc'. Are you getting this?"

The Doctor looked to be listening to something. "Yeah."

Logan looked at them, then back at the soldiers.

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Seriously. It all falls apart at once, right?"

Legate nodded his head. "You should call Stark and notify him."

The Doctor had already picked up his phone. He looked down at the Princess. "I apologize. It seems like my life is always full of this much madness."

She smiled at him. "Sounds like Han Solo."

The Doctor smiled at her as Stark answered the phone.

"Yeah!?"

"Tony. I was just informed that there was an explosion at the Stark Expo. There are casualties. No word if it was an accident or what. It just happened."

Stark took a deep breath, "Alright, thanks for letting me know. I need to make some calls."

"Right." The Doctor told him as Matron Cletheo walked in. He put the phone back in his pocket.

The Doctor looked at her, "Matron. What's the alert?"

"A small child has gotten away from his bed. We've locked down the hospital in an effort to locate him." She explained.

The Doctor looked at Legate and Logan. "Can my men help?"

She shook her head. "It is not necessary. As you know, there are protocols in place for such an event. Everyone needs to stay in their rooms until he is located. He is extremely contagious."

"What does he have?" The Doctor asked.

"Lazar's disease." She told him simply.

The Doctor whistled as he ran his hand through his hair. "Oh, wow. That's really not good at all. As soon as he is found, I want Princess Ashena moved to Rehabilitation. She's not contagious and does not need to remain in this environment."

The Matron bowed. "Of course, Doctor. I will keep you informed of the situation. Your reports are being downloaded to your tablet." She left the room.

The Doctor sat down in a chair next to the Princess' hospital bed. "Well, that certainly changes my plans for the afternoon."

Legate asked as he tossed the ball gently to Princess Ashena, "Did you get to see Rose?"

The Doctor rubbed his face as he smiled, "Yeah, we had lunch together. She brought Genie down to the surface."

The Princess looked interested. "Who's Genie?"

The Doctor looked back up at her. "I'm sorry, this is rather rude to discuss this sort of thing-"

"No." She insisted. "It's quite alright. What else are we doing except playing ball?" She tossed it to Logan. "I love this, by the way. I've never seen a ball of energy like that. You can't even feel it! It's harder to catch than I would think."

Legate smiled at her as he caught the ball that Logan threw to him. "It's a way that a Quauhtin train themselves to increase their reflexes. Because you can't feel it, you have to focus more to be able to catch it. My father taught me to always have one in my pocket and practice. When we leave, I'll give this one to you. It will help with your reflexes as well." He told her as he tossed the ball gently to her.

She caught the ball. She smiled and looked up at him. "Thank you, Legate. That is very kind. Okay, answer my question. Who is Genie?"

The Doctor smiled at her. "Genie is my daughter. She's never been away from her home planet before."

"And Rose is your wife?" She asked.

He smiled as he nodded and watched her throw the ball to Logan who stood several feet away from the end of her bed.

"Has your wife been away from her home planet before?" She asked.

He smiled, "Rose has traveled quite a bit with me, and then by herself…." He trailed off.

She continued, "I think that's a lovely name. Rose. Is Genie a flower as well?"

The Doctor watched them all toss the ball to one another as he answered her questions. "No. Genie is a shortened version of her name. She is Sara Genevieve. I honestly have no idea why she was named that."

She looked confused as she caught the ball and tossed it to Logan again. "You and your Rose didn't name her?"

He shook his head. "No. She was given to Rose a few months ago after her mother died. We have adopted her."

The Princess smiled. "Adoption is not the call to have the perfect, rosy family. It is the call to give love, mercy and patience. That's what my father says. I've seen him pull families together through adoption many times. He always leaves them with those words. He also says," She attempted a gruff voice as she imitated her father. "Love is what makes a family."

The Doctor chuckled at her. "And he's right."

The Princess smiled at him as she continued to toss the ball to Logan and Legate. "So, the War of the Stars story. If you were to be Han Solo, who would Chewbacca be?"

Legate laughed, "She really loves this story. I wish we could show her the films."

The Doctor smiled at her. "I might be able to arrange something."

She smiled. "Come on, play. If you are the Captain of your ship, that would make you Han Solo."

"It could also make me Darth Vader, Luke or Obi-Wan."

Legate waved his hand at him. "Nah. You are totally Han Solo. We had this conversation onboard last night. I wonder if you can guess who everyone was named. I decided that Logan is the closest one to Luke Skywalker."

The Doctor smiled at Logan. "Then, yeah. I'm Han Solo." He agreed as he looked down at his tablet.

Princess Ashena spoke, "Okay, Luke was from a desert planet, then he went into space. I wonder, was he cold?"

The Doctor laughed as he looked over at her in surprise. "Okay, what?"

"Well, deserts are hot. Wouldn't he have gotten used to feeling that heat? Space is cold. I always bring thicker clothing when we travel because of it." She reasoned.

The Doctor looked back at Legate and Logan. "I've never thought of that. Interesting. Critical thinking seems to be working for the Princess. What do you think, Legate?"

Legate shook his head. "Too bad we don't know someone from a desert planet we could ask. Maybe their body just adapts the longer they travel."

Logan asked Legate. "Your homeworld?"

Legate shook his head. "It's like it is here. A large city, all over the planet. Big, green parks. How about you, Doc'?"

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "My planet was a desert planet, oddly enough. And I've never thought about this."

Legate held the ball. "I didn't know that."

"What planet are you from?" The Princess asked him.

He shook his head. "It doesn't exist any longer. You wouldn't have heard of it."

Legate pointed at him, "Okay, let's focus on the question. How long as it been since you were there?"

The Doctor sat back and thought. "Ummm. That's a hard question. I left for the last time, and then came back to Earth. That's when I met Rose."

Legate asked, "So, if you had to guess?"

He shook his head, "I'm really not sure. A matter of a few years."

Legate looked at him. "And you sit there in a suit. Are you comfortable?"

He waved his hand to dismiss it. "My body temperature is lower than most species. I've always thought that was the reason that sometimes I would just get very cold. When Rose and I traveled, she would tease me for wearing a jacket and a coat, or a jumper with my jacket. She would wear something like a short sleeved t-shirt or something. In fact, when I first met Rose, I believe I was wearing a shirt, a jumper and a jacket. And it was summer in London. But, I had just gotten there from space. But, you're right Princess. Space is cold. Interesting."

Legate laughed, "Who do you think Stark is?"

"Lando. That's who I see him as." The Doctor told them.

Logan laughed, "This is great. Who is Jack?"

The Doctor groaned as he rubbed his face and thought. "Jar Jar Binks."

Legate doubled over laughing. "Oh wow! We didn't even name him last night."

"Now, hang on. Jack grew up on the Boeshane Peninsula. That's really a warm place. He is always in a jumper and a jacket, too. Princess, you really made me stop and think about something here. There are not many who have done that." He told her.

The Princess smiled.

The Doctor laughed as he held up his hand and counted on his fingers, "Okay, back to this. Rose would be Princess Leia, I'm Han, Stark is Lando, Lewis…. Huh. Lewis, might be Lando. Stark might be Jabba. I'm not completely certain."

The three continued to toss the ball to one another. Logan laughed, "I never dreamed I would be the only human in a room, on a foreign planet, talking about Star Wars."

The Doctor smiled at him, "Living the dream, huh?"

Logan laughed in disbelief.

The Doctor walked over and looked at where he had given him the shot. "That looks fine, Logan."

Logan looked down at his arm and nodded his head. "Thanks, Doc'."

Legate smiled, "Lewis would be Chewbacca. That's what we all decided last night."

The Doctor pointed at him. "He would! He's one of my best friends, and I would be lost without him. Yes! Lewis is Chewie! He even growls at me sometimes."

"Licio's brother growls at you?" the Princess laughed.

The Doctor looked at her and shrugged his shoulders. "Sure he does."

Logan laughed, "Well, no offense intended, but after I've had some time to think about it, I see the Quauhtin as Jedi's."

The Doctor leaned back his head and laughed hysterically, "Oh, wow. That makes Summus, Yoda!"

Legate covered his face and laughed, "Oh! That is brilliant! Summus is a little, tiny Jedi Master."

The Doctor wiped the tears from his eyes. "Summus would probably be able to hold Yoda in his hand. Wow. That's brilliant! I should tell him this."

Princess Ashena looked impressed, "You men speak of Summus as if you know him well."

The Doctor smiled, "He's a good friend of mine. He's currently…..hang on." He held up a finger and listened. Then he smiled, "Summus agrees he's Yoda. He says Lewis is Obi-Wan, and agrees that I'm Han Solo."

Princess Ashena laughed.

The Doctor continued, "Summus says that Legate is Wedge, and Logan is Luke. For certain."

"Wedge Antilles? I could live with that." Legate said proudly. "He was a hell of a pilot, and I believe he was from….. where?"

"Corellia, like Han Solo." Logan told him.

Legate laughed, "The children are all Ewoks."

"I would say they are Jawas." The Doctor teased.

The Princess laughed, "How many children do you have on your ship?"

The Doctor smiled back at her. "Four. Two belong to me. One is my wife's younger brother and one is… ummm…. Jacob. Well, Jacob Shepherd is the son of a President back on Earth."

Logan caught the ball and looked at The Doctor in surprise. "I didn't realize that's who that was! That's Howard Shepherd's son?" He threw the ball to Logan.

The Doctor smiled at Logan. "Howie is a personal friend of mine. He asked me to take Jacob with us on this trip."

Logan shook his head, "I just didn't realize that was him. I knew Pete Tyler and Howard Shepherd were friends-"

"Best friends. Howard Shepherd saved Pete Tyler's life when they were boys. There's an entire story about that I will entertain you with if the Lock-Down last a very long time."

The Princess tossed the ball to Logan, "What is a Presi… what you called your friend?"

"A President. It's similar to a King. It's the Commander and Chief of a Nation. Earth is not united as one, and sees itself as many different nations. Each nation has a different leader."

The Princess nodded her head. "I'm familiar with that sort of thing. My father deals with planets like that. It makes negotiations difficult. Is there someone that speaks for Earth?"

He looked impressed, "There is, in certain situations. I'm sorry, I guess you probably do understand this more than I would realize."

Princess Ashena smiled back at him, "It's only my brother and myself. My father changed the laws as soon as I was born so that I could one day take over and rule in the event my brother couldn't or didn't want to. Some people of our world don't believe a woman could lead them, but they don't realize that my brother has no desire to rule. On Earth, can a woman rule?"

The Doctor smiled, "Of course. My friend, Harriet Jones, is the President of the country my wife's family is from. And Logan's family."

Logan nodded, "Of course. And she's brilliant."

Princess Ashena nodded, "I'll be of age in a few months. My father has offered me a marriage, where I can help rule. Or a colony of that is off world where I can rule on my own, or I can continue my education someplace."

The Doctor smiled at her. "What do you plan to do?"

She tossed the ball back to Logan. "I'm honestly not sure. Well, the marriage proposal is out. I'm not interested in the man my father wants me to wed. How old is your daughter?"

The Doctor smiled, "Genie is five."

"Have you promised her to someone yet?" She asked him.

He closed his eyes tightly and smiled. "I've thought about it. Although, I haven't discussed it with my wife. Well, not too much. Well, I've mentioned it briefly. Wow, what would Rose say to this conversation?"

Logan looked surprised, "You have? That seems like a very old custom."

"Some places, that's just the norm."

"You are the only married man in this room." The Princess told him. "Was your wife promised to you?"

He smiled, "No. I asked her father's permission."

She threw the ball to Logan again. The Doctor looked at him. "Logan. Toss the ball to her again."

Logan threw it back. The Doctor watched as she threw the ball again. He stood up and held his hand out. "Okay, give me a minute." He held her hand and rolled it over to look at it. "Are the tubes in your arm hurting you?"

She shook her head. "No. Why?"

"I noticed it when you threw the ball. You catch it in a strange way." He rubbed his beard and thought.

She smiled, "It is a strange ball to catch. You can't feel it."

"But, you still would catch it the way you catch anything else." He reasoned as he dug around in his pockets. He pulled out a rattle and looked at her. "Okay. Catch this." He gently threw it to her to revel that she caught it in the same, strange way.

"Ha! I know what's causing those headaches." He turned to Legate. "Thank you for bringing that ball. Well done."

Legate shrugged his shoulders. "Hey, it's what I do." He tossed it back to the Princess gently.

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	14. Chapter 14 - Aphunea

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Chapter 14 - Aphunea

Hours later, the Doctor sat in the same chair going over records in his tablet. He had moved over another chair to prop his feet up in. He sat, running his hand through his hair and wearing his glasses. Princess Ashena giggled at how crazy his hair began to look the longer he worked on the tablet.

Logan and Legate had stopped playing ball and had started telling the Princess stories about Batman. The Doctor was so busy on the tablet, he didn't notice when Matron Cletheo returned to Princess Ashena's room to inform them that the child had been found and the threat had passed. The Doctor had made the most of the time by going over all of Princess Ashena's records again, ensuring he hadn't missed anything. He also found that she was a delightful, young lady who was extremely clever. She seemed to be very fond of Logan, who she found "charming" as she had called him. Legate hadn't helped the situation assuring her that Logan could return to entertain her with many other stories from Earth.

King Clagl and his wife returned as soon as the Lock-Down had ended and thanked The Doctor, Legate and Logan for keeping their daughter company through the ordeal. They were both extremely pleased with her progress. The Doctor explained to them that she would be moving to Rehabilitation as soon as they had a room available, which was more like a suite. "You will all be more comfortable there. I'll see you in the morning. If you need me, please tell Matron Cletheo. She can contact me immediately."

The Doctor, Legate and Logan left and walked through the hallways of the hospital.

Legate asked, "So, back to the ship?"

"Nah, let's get some dinner. Hungry, Logan?" The Doctor asked him as he walked between the men.

"Starving. And honestly ready to get out of here." Logan told him.

"Hospitals give you the creeps, too?"

Logan laughed, "You're a doctor-"

"No, I'm THE Doctor. There is difference." He corrected him.

Logan rolled his eyes. "Right."

The Doctor patted him on the shoulder. "Rose told me that Tony was busy with this mess at the Expo, so I doubt he would have gotten to your boxing lesson today anyway."

Logan nodded his head, "It's really okay."

Legate stopped and looked around. "This isn't the way we came. Where are you going?"

The Doctor smiled. "Legate, I have a car! I'm anxious to see it."

Legate looked surprised. "You?!"

"Yeah, they gave me a car when I agreed to work here. Let's go find it and take it to dinner!"

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They went down to a parking garage. It wasn't too much different than parking garages from earth, except it went up with cars parked in shelves that were built into the walls. The Doctor walked up to a desk. A green man with red spikes, where you would normally see hair, sat and spoke some strange language to him. The attendant nodded his head and rushed off to fetch the car.

The Doctor turned to Logan and Legate. "He says he'll bring it around. I wonder what color it is."

Logan watched him leave. "Now, I can't understand what he says."

"No, there is a universal translator in the Princess' room. I don't think anyone was speaking English in there except me and you." The Doctor pointed at Legate. "Where you speaking English?"

Legate looked confused, "When?"

The Doctor shook his head, "Phhh… nevermind."

Legate asked him. "Rose is alright with us taking some more time?"

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "She's sleeping again. Every time she nurses Sam about this time of night, she seems to make herself so comfortable that she falls asleep."

Legate smiled at him. "Maybe she's making up for all of the time she didn't sleep. My father says she never slept before. She would be up all night doing stuff."

The Doctor bit his lip and nodded as he was reminded of how miserable Rose was before he arrived. Logan stretched his neck as they all heard the sound of an engine coming towards them. A black, floating car, pulled up next to them. One didn't have to know what sort it was to appreciate how sexy it looked.

The Doctor looked back at the men, raised his eyebrows and smiled to show his approval. He could feel the excitement from the other two men.

"I've got shotgun!" Logan yelled.

Legate held his hands out. "What the hell does that mean?"

The attendant got out and held the door open for The Doctor as they all got inside. The Doctor drove out of the garage and into the night sky. He ran his hand through his hair as he propped his elbow up on the door.

Legate was looking around, "This is a nice ride! There's room for Summus in here!"

The Doctor glanced back at him. "Or four more people, huh?" He shook his head and laughed.

Logan was looking out of the window as he watched the ground get further away. The Doctor smiled at the excitement he felt from him. "Alright men, where should we eat?"

Legate thought for a minute. "Lewis is having dinner with Jack and Tony. Over at ummm…"

The Doctor rubbed his beard, "Aphunea. Ah, that sounds good to me. What do you think, Logan?"

Logan smiled as he looked back at him. "Whatever you think."

Legate raised up between the seats, "So, Logan. Got a girl back home?"

Logan looked over at Legate, and then The Doctor. "Ugh, do we have to talk about this?"

The Doctor smiled as he looked out of the windshield. "You can tell him it's none of his business, Logan. It's alright."

Logan looked back at Legate. "No. I don't."

Legate looked surprised at him. "Sure you do. You're just afraid he's going to tell your mum."

The Doctor glanced back at Logan. The Doctor held his hand up. "I'm not like that, man. It's your business." He looked back at Legate. "Don't give the man a hard time, Legate. Geez."

Legate laughed quietly.

The Doctor's wristband lit up, "Ah, speaking of your mum. That's her calling me now."

He tapped his wristband. "Hello, Michelle. I've got you on …. ummm… speaker, so please don't embarrass me."

Michelle laughed, "I really don't even know what to say to that. Who all is there so I'm informed."

He smiled, "Legate and Logan. We're headed out to dinner. It's around, 8:47 at night."

"Ummm… Logan is behaving himself?" Michelle asked.

The Doctor looked at Logan. "Michelle. Logan is of age. He's a grown man. Don't worry about him. He's fine. Logan, say something to your mum before I have to send someone to give her oxygen."

Logan laughed, "Hi mum. I'm fine. How are you? How are things at home?"

Michelle's smile was oblivious through the speaker. "Very good. The band is getting better, which makes for a more comfortable living environment."

The Doctor laughed with Logan. "That's good news."

Michelle asked, "How long do I have before you arrive at your destination?"

"Not too long. But go ahead. What's up?" The Doctor asked her.

"Well, this mess with Idles and Stark. The media has gone crazy. I'm sure you've seen it."

The Doctor glanced back at the other two men and rolled his eyes. "Oh, they always have to be barking about something. I'm beginning to believe Stark about that."

"Well, they are certainly barking now! The people that are taking responsibility for the explosion at the Expo are saying it is because you and Stark are such friends and they are trying to get your attention."

The Doctor groaned quietly, "Oh, bleeding hell."

Michelle continued, "It might a good idea to do an interview with Stark, but no one seems to be able to find him. You had already planned to do one anyway, and I'm sure you've forgotten and not even asked Rose about it. She's not going to want to do it anyway."

The Doctor patted the steering wheel. "That's very true. And I know exactly where Stark is."

"Oh! Well, discuss it with him and see what he thinks. I can arrange everything."

"I'll do that. What else do you have? You never call for one thing."

Michelle agreed. "You know me too well. Pete is standing on his head. He told me to have you call him."

"Ugh. Tell him I'm busy. I'll call him when I have nothing else to do." He told her.

"I've told him that. I am just relaying the message. And you might find it interesting that Shakes has moved both him and Jackie Tyler to your flat in London." She told him.

He looked shocked back at Logan. "Ugh. Well, I'm not currently using it. Why didn't Summus tell me that? I've been chatting with him all day. Legate? Did you know about that?"

Legate shook his head. "No. But, Summus expects something bad if she's done that."

He nodded, "Of course. Sorry, Michelle. Was that everything you had?"

Michelle sighed, "I think that's the main things for now."

"What are you and the boys eating for dinner tonight?"

Michelle laughed. "And I knew you were going to ask me that."

Logan looked at him, "Do you ask her this often?"

He looked back at him, "Of course. And if she tells me that she hasn't planned anything, I tell her to get pizza."

"Explains why we eat so much pizza." Logan smiled back at him.

"I was thinking chops tonight." Michelle told him.

"Chops and gravy! Sounds good. Call me if you need me, Michelle. Don't worry about Logan. He's fine. We're keeping him busy." The Doctor told her as he drove down on a landing platform.

Logan returned to looking out the window and smiled. "This is great."

"Alright. Everyone tell Michelle bye. We're here." He told them.

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The Doctor walked up to the hostess and said something in a strange language to her. It looked to be a nice place. She nodded her head and took them to a room where they found Stark, Lewis, Licio, Lance and Jack. They were sitting around a large table that appeared to be made out of a large, white piece of plastic. The room was bright white and appeared very futuristic. Logan could see a window in the back of the room that held a conveyer belt with four arms and cooking utensils.

Jack looked up at them. "Lewis says you have a car? The fuck?"

The Doctor smiled, "Yes. I have a car. Whatever. Carry on."

They walked in and took their seats across from the brothers. Legate pointed at Lewis. "Arla let you off the ship without her?"

"She's playing with the children. They were all involved in a strange movie about some girl with really long hair when I left."

"Tangled!" Jack exclaimed. "I love that movie!"

The Doctor smiled as he looked back at Logan and shook his head. "Of course he would."

Logan laughed.

The Doctor looked at Lewis. "I need to talk to Arla. She seems to have turned into our Nanny, accidently. I probably need to see if she wants to continue that. If she does, I need to pay her more."

Lewis sat back and waved his hand. "Ah. Don't worry about it. We'll talk about it later."

Licio drank. "I can't believe you are getting married. Wow."

The Doctor sat back as the men began to talk to one another. "Okay, Logan. This is neat place. What you do is tap the tabletop, like this." He tapped the tabletop and a menu appeared. "Alright. Then you pick what you want to eat. Most places are like this here. They will usually transport the food to your table. But, this place prepares it over there behind the glass. Those robot arms do everything and you can watch it."

Jack heard him explaining. "But! The coolest thing is the beer. Show him Stark!"

Stark held up his finger as he drank the rest of glass. Then he sat the glass in the middle of the table on a medal circle. The glass refilled from the bottom up. Logan smiled. "Okay, that's really cool! How the hell does it do that?"

Logan picked up his glass and turned it over to see that the bottom had a place where it would lift up when would be sat on the medal circle. He sat it on the circle and watched as his glass filled up with water.

He took the glass off of the circle. "Well, I didn't think about that. I suppose there are different drinks for different taps."

Stark leaned back in his chair and handed Logan a clean glass. "Here." He pointed to the tap he had used. "This one is the one you want, kid."

Logan put the glass on the tap and watched as it filled up.

He returned his attention to the menu. The Doctor told him. "Okay. I'll translate whatever you are interested in."

Logan shook his head. "I think I might be alright. This says, 'Lake Salad.' Is that right?"

Jack looked surprised. "He can read this?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Trust me. You don't want that. It wouldn't mix well with your body chemistry. Focus on this side of the page."

Logan nodded his head as he pointed at something and then looked back at The Doctor. "This? It looks…"

"Spicy!" The Doctor told him.

Lewis laughed, "Or as Genie says, 'It makes her mouth angry'."

They all smiled. Legate, who sat on the other side of Logan, clicked on a picture. "I'll have this. You can try it and see if you like it."

The robot behind the window sprang into life. Logan watched as it prepared the meal.

The Doctor must have seen it a million times. He was busy talking to Stark about the explosion and how Michelle had recommended they go on CNN together for an interview.

Stark complained. "Oh, fucking hell. Like how are we going to be able to even do that? We're out here for several more days."

"Oh, phhh….. that's easy. Let me worry about that. Pepper hasn't called you about this?"

Stark shook his head. "No. She's probably even more pissed at me."

"Why? You didn't do this."

"But, I'm not there to deal with it. Well, like I ever deal with it. She always cleans up messes for me. That's sortof our arrangement." Stark told him.

The Doctor leaned back and took the plate that popped out of an opening of the robot cook's window. He handed it to Legate. On the plate looked to be a huge mushroom, with a lot of tiny little mushrooms growing out of it. Some sort of green plants popped out of the holes as well. Legate thanked him as he took a knife and cut a bit of it off and handed it to Logan.

Logan tasted it. "Okay, that's really good!"

The Doctor clicked something on the menu and the robot sprang to life again to prepare his meal. He continued his conversation with Stark. "My secretary tells me that the news has gone mad about this."

Stark dismissed it. "Oh, the press can suck a fart out of my ass. Of course they have! It's too early in the election year for them to be bitching about Howie's drinking. Besides, they all know you are going to endorse him so they will probably leave him alone. Are they talking about this Idles thing? Or is that even on their radar?"

"Oh, they are talking about it." The Doctor told him. "Pepper hasn't called you? This entire time that we've been gone?"

Tony drank his beer, "I'm telling you. She was pissed."

The Doctor leaned back and took out three plates, one at a time, and put them on the table. "Try this stuff, Logan. But, order something if you want it." He looked up. "You guys didn't order anything?"

Lewis shook his head. "We've already ate before you lot got here. We're just keeping you company."

"Right." The Doctor said as he directed his attention back to Logan at the plates of food.

He pointed at the first plate that looked to hold different squares of gelatin. They all had something inside of them that Logan didn't recognize and came in many different colors. "This is like sushi. Some of them are spicy. Tread lightly there."

He pointed at another plate that held purple looking donuts, "These look like donuts, but are actually like a …." He looked at Jack.

Jack smiled, "I don't know what the hell they are like, man. They are like gnual, which is what they are called." Jack took one off of the plate and ate it.

The Doctor waved his hand. "Alright. I suppose so. And then this." He pointed at the third dish. It had little rolled up bits of meats in some sort of cream sauce. To the side were tiny, thin white circles that almost looked like candy wrappers. The tops were red. "These are good, but you really should put the little, well, they are like onions on them and eat them with that." The Doctor showed him what he meant as he put the white bits on the top and ate the rolled up bits of meat.

Logan tried everything. "This is really good!"

The Doctor smiled at him. "Alright? Good." He turned to Jack. "What do you have in mind for Lewis' bachelor party?"

Jack drank his beer. "No. It is a surprise. But, you will love it. You will wish it was yours!"

The Doctor sat his glass on the beer dispenser and filled his glass. "Phhh….."

Licio asked, "What is a bachelor party?"

Stark looked at Licio. "A reason to get drunk and act like an idiot."

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	15. Chapter 15 - Car Chase

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Chapter 15 - Car Chase

The Doctor had to return the car back to the parking deck at the hospital. Anxious to see it, all of the men joined him.

When the parking attendant brought it around, Jack whistled that he impressed. "Nice! Wow!"

Stark patted him on the shoulder as he yelled, "Shot gun!"

Legate held his hand out in surprise. "Okay, that must be an Earth thing."

They all climbed into the car. The Doctor took them into the nighttime sky where the other cars floated in long lines.

Jack complained, "And of course, we find some traffic."

Stark looked out the window. He looked back at The Doctor and nodded. "Traffic or not, this is really pretty damn cool. Right, kid?"

Logan sat between Legate and Jack. Lewis, Lance and Licio sat behind them. Logan nodded his head. "It really is."

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Ugh. Traffic. What a strange day."

Tony looked back at him. "Rose alright with you hanging out with us so late?"

He shook his head. "She's sleeping."

Tony nodded his head. "Traffic on a foreign planet. Funny how some things are the same, no matter where you go."

The Doctor laughed. "Yeah, I suppose."

Tony's bracelet lit up. He looked at it. "Oh, shit. Pepper found me."

The Doctor pointed at him. "Go on and answer it. We're not going anywhere for a while."

Tony groaned as he rubbed his face. He tapped his bracelet and answered the call. "Hey, Pepp-."

Pepper's annoyed voice came across, "I've been trying to call you all day. What the hell?"

"I actually broke my phone. I'm talking to you through my bracelet at the moment. I know you hate that, so I figured I would wait until I got to a quiet place. You're on speaker with it, so-"

"Oh, I don't care that I'm on speaker! Where the hell are you?"

Tony bit his lip. "I'm out with John. Don't worry about-"

"I'm not worried about you two idiots!" Pepper fussed at him.

Tony and The Doctor looked at one another. Tony whispered, "Red hair."

The Doctor laughed quietly as Pepper continued to yell at Tony.

"You know, I don't know why I didn't think to call him. If you aren't in Malibu, you are there with him working on your crazy ass projects!"

Tony rubbed his face, "Ugh…. Alright. So, you found us. What do-"

"Listen! If something explodes at this damn Expo you insisted on having, you need to show up and act like you care that people got hurt! What the hell is wrong with you?"

Tony shook his head. All of the men in the car were laughing silently at him.

"Ugh. Pep-"

"Don't you Pepper me! The media has gone crazy! They think you were killed in the explosion."

"Well, I'm not killed. I'm fi-"

"Oh, hell no you are not! Probably drunk off your ass."

"Actually, I'm really not that ba-"

"Oh, shut up! You make me completely insane! Do you know what the stocks are going to do tomorrow morning?"

Tony held out his hand, "Hey! Bad press is still pres-"

"Oh, don't give me that!" Pepper yelled at him.

A screen inside of the car started to beep. The Doctor tapped it. Lewis sat up and looked at it with him. He asked quietly, "A bounty? Who has a bounty out for you?"

Pepper asked, "What is that, beeping?"

Tony shook his head. "We're in the Doc's car. He's not wearing his seatbelt."

Lewis pointed at the screen. "Licio. Lance. Look at this. Does this mean-?"

Jack said, "It means someone is announcing they are claiming the bounty. You might want to-"

The Doctor dove the car straight down as a different beep started in the car. Lewis looked behind them to see that another car had also dropped down behind them in pursuit. The Doctor looked up in the mirror to see behind him. "Who do you think it is?" He asked.

"Well, it's me, John!" Pepper screamed at him.

He shook his head. "Not you, Pepper!"

Jack shook his head. "Dude. I have no idea. Who have you pissed off?"

Pepper heard what Jack said, "What the hell is going on? Where are you guys? Who is that?"

Jack didn't miss the opportunity. "Captain Jack Harkness-"

"Stop it! Not now." The Doctor complained as he turned the car and went down an exit ramp and turned quickly to go onto another road. All of the men in the car gasped as the rate of speed increased. The Doctor seemed to be extremely calm as he worked through the gears and clicked buttons on the ceiling.

Legate spoke. "Ummm. Doctor. May I point out, as your bodyguard, this is not a good idea."

Pepper spoke, "I heard that-"

Stark spoke to her, "Pepper, don't worry about us. We're fine. We're just…"

The Doctor turned quickly down another street at a high rate of speed. It pushed Tony into the door. He spoke with his mouth mushed against the window, "We're just taking a peaceful ride down the road-"

"Oh bull. Where the hell are you guys? You need to get your asses to New York and deal with this."

"I'm kindof dealing with something else at the moment, Pepper." The Doctor told her as he turned and glanced at Logan. "This is actually good for you to see. Step One in a situation like this is to remain calm."

Pepper heard him. "What the hell are you doing?"

Tony shook his head. "Nevermind, Pepper! Just teaching the kid somet-"

"What kid? What are you-"

Tony was done. "Pepper, we're going through the canyon. Sorry!" He tapped his bracelet to end the call.

The Doctor reached up and twisted some knobs and the car dove straight down at the ground. A blanket of fog hung a few hundred meters from the ground. All of the men screamed, except Jack who laughed loudly. "That will do it!"

The car rolled over as The Doctor pulled up hand brake and quickly turned off all of the lights. He parked, upside down, in the fog. He looked at all of them, hanging upside down, and put his finger on his lips.

Jack whispered to Logan, "This is called, 'Playing Dead'."

"It's called hiding." The Doctor corrected him.

Logan nodded. "It's a Han Solo move from the Empire Strikes Back."

Legate whispered, "I might need to change my pants. I won't lie."

Licio looked at his brothers in surprise and said quietly. "This is the family you protect? Damn. I thought I had a time of it. My sympathies."

They watched the screen as it showed the car that had been chasing them slow down, look for them, and then take off towards the sky again. They all breathed a sigh of relief.

Pepper's voice came through the speaker of Tony's bracelet. It caused them all to jump. "And who would like to explain what just happened? Tony? John?"

Stark ended the call. "Sorry, about that guys. I thought I had hung that up."

Legate and several of the others laughed at him. "She's proper pissed at you."

Stark shook his head as he looked back at The Doctor. "Well, I'm certainly sober now. Damn you."

Lewis asked him. "Who the hell has a bounty out for you?"

"I have no idea. This is an interesting development." He said as he turned back on the car, rolled it back over and drove it back in the opposite direction towards the hospital.

The Doctor pointed his finger in the air to make a point. "This never happened! No one says anything!"

Stark turned to look at the Doctor. "Isn't that Rule 2? What happens in space, stays in space?"

Jack smiled, "This isn't really space."

The Doctor looked at Stark. "What Rule are we up to?"

Stark nodded. "I've got this. Rule number 4. What happens on Plentitude, stays on Plentitude. Got it?"

"Agreed." All of the men said.

Tony sat back in the seat. "See, man. Handled. Or as you say," He attempted a British accent. "Sorted, governor."

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	16. Chapter 16 - Bad Wolf

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Chapter 16 - Bad Wolf

Rose woke up. She was lying across their bed in their suite. Sam was nowhere to be seen. She could sense he was sleeping and was safe. She could also feel that The Doctor was sleeping and was comfortable. She turned on light beside of the bed to find that she was alone. The time next to the bed blinked 4:21 am.

Rose got up, put on her robe and walked over to look in the cot. Sam wasn't there. She walked into the sitting room and found The Doctor sleeping on the sofa. His shoes lay on the floor where he had kicked them off, and his jacket hung on the back of the chair. He had opened his vest and shirt so that Sam could lie on his bare chest. Sam only wore a fluffy, blue diaper as he lay on his stomach, high on The Doctor's chest right under his chin. The Doctor wore his glasses and had one hand on Sam's tiny body, and the other holding a book.

Rose sat down next to him on the sofa and smiled. She took his glasses off and gently pulled the book from his hand. She sat them both on the table. He didn't wake up. She sat back and smiled as she watched them both sleep.

She ran her hand through The Doctor's hair. He kissed the top of Sam's head and whispered, "I'm just resting my eyes."

She smiled and whispered, "You fell asleep reading."

He didn't open his eyes. He put his other hand on Sam and kissed him again. He said something in Gallifreyan.

Rose smiled as she felt him drift back to sleep. He smiled in his sleep as he spoke again in Gallifreyan to her and he kissed Sam on top of his head.

Rose covered him up with a blanket, picked up Sam and took him into the bedroom with her. The Doctor continued to sleep.

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The Doctor sat in the sand. The sun was very bright, and he held his hand up to shield his eyes. He closed his eyes and shook his head. He picked up a handful of sand and let it fall slowly back to the ground. As he listened to the sound, he realized. "This is Gallifrey. Not my island." He said as he opened his eyes and looked at the red sand he held in his hand.

"Well, that's a neat trick. I didn't know you could do that." A female voice said.

He looked up and saw her. "Bad Wolf. Well, it's been a long time." He said as he stood up and dusted himself off.

"Some things are worth the wait. Like Sam. He is so special." She smiled.

The Doctor fought a smile that spread across his face. "My Sam is something special."

Bad Wolf smiled proudly, "Our Sam. He will bring so much love into the Universe, which is just what it needs. He is remarkable. I'm so proud of the person he becomes. I know you are, too. You don't have to worry about him like the ones before."

The Doctor put his hands on his hips. "Why are you here? Idles is dead. Pete is an idiot and had him-"

"Pete is the one in charge of the family, not you. He is the father. You are the son. That is your role now."

He shook his head. "That doesn't feel right."

"Feel or not. It's the fact of things. Pete is in charge."

"But, I know more than Pete. He's not in charge of this family. Of me! My family! I won't allow that!"

She laughed, "You really don't have a say so in it, Time Lord. Not for a while anyway. Enjoy it while it lasts. You will miss it when it's over."

He sighed. "I try not to think about that. This is amazing. For the first time, in a very long time, I have a family again. Maybe we should stay on the ship. They are safe here. I'm worried about returning."

"Everything is not just there. Everything is everywhere. You probably need to get some more Quauhtin. Although, they always seem to be where you need them. They are strange, aren't they?"

"I don't know. I don't think about it anymore. I suppose so." He told her.

"Summus will be missed so much. But, it's time." She told him.

"What?" He asked. "Summus just was shot in the leg. He'll be fine!"

"Summus is bored stiff. He's training Lewis to take over the guard so he can leave! How do you not see that? Summus is a Legend and now that he's found his people, he wishes to return to them. The close family ties he has with our family is the only thing that holds him there with you."

He shook his head. "Nah. He's not spoken to me about this. He would have mentioned it."

"Think about it. Would he? Summus is a very private man."

He sighed and dropped his head. "Ugh. You always show up when there's trouble. Summus is leaving at the beginning of trouble? Is that it? Who the hell has a bounty on me?"

She smiled flirtatiously at him. "Oh that!" She giggled. "Someone who really fancies you."

He thought as he ran his hand through his air. "Fancies me?"

"Is it that hard to imagine? Pete said it himself. They can't take you anywhere."

He snapped, "Alfecca Meridaians. She asked me to be her mate."

Bad Wolf laughed, "No. Someone who thought they had you, and you escaped."

He looked down at the ground and thought. "Who could that be?"

He looked up and the Bad Wolf had disappeared. "Damn it!" He complained.

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The Doctor woke up and felt of his chest for Sam. He wasn't there. In his sudden panic, he looked around frantically. He rushed to the bedroom. Rose felt his panic and met him.

"He's fine! I put him in the crib. Calm down!" She told him quietly.

He looked past her in the crib and saw Sam's foot. He could feel he was peacefully sleeping. He shook his head, "I'm sorry, Rose. I just…."

He stopped talking and looked at her. Rose looked at him curiously. She could feel his fear. She rubbed his arms, "He's fine. I brought him in here so you could sleep."

He breathed out his relief and looked to relax.

Rose took his hand and led him to the bed. She climbed in as he took off everything down to his pants and joined her. She lay in his arms. She could feel his calming panic.

"Sweetheart. What's wrong? You can talk to me about this."

He sighed as he kissed her head. "Please don't. I really can't talk about that."

"Will it really blow a hole in the Universe?" Rose asked him.

He ran his hand through his hair, "More like a hole through my soul. Please don't make me explain."

Rose could feel his heartache. She rose up and looked in his eyes. "You are safe. We are safe. Sam and Genie are safe. Please try to relax."

He nodded his head as he pulled her closer. She felt him drift back into an uneasy sleep as he held her tightly.

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	17. Chapter 17 – Stark's Revenge

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Chapter 17 – Stark's Revenge

The Doctor woke up to Van Halen's song, 'You Really Got Me' being played ridiculously loud. He pulled the pillow over his head and moaned, "Rose-"

He heard Stark's evil laugh, "Yeah, your lady isn't here to save you!"

Tony, Jacob and Genie laughed as they jumped into the bed with him. He rolled over and covered his head with his hands as they all three jumped on him and shook him.

Tony danced on the mattress, "This pay back, brother! For that dang chipmunk!"

The Doctor pulled the duvet over his head as Jacob sat down on his legs and grabbed his feet to tickle them. He kicked his feet as he laughed. He uncovered his face and sat up.

"Stark!" He complained.

"Dude. Don't dish it out if you can't take it. Besides, you need to get your candy ass up. We're on CNN this morning." He told him as he played the air guitar and sang along with the song. "These guys have the best concerts. Alex and Eddie always let me sing with them."

Rose walked into the suite. She had gone for a morning run. "Friday, turn this off."

Tony stopped singing as he turned around and looked at Rose. He smiled, "Well, good morning!"

Rose looked suspiciously at Tony. "What are you doing?"

He pointed in the bedroom at the wrestling scene that was taking place. The Doctor had managed to pin all three children down as he teased them he was going back to sleep. They all laughed playfully.

Rose smiled at him. "I see your comfortable pants are helping you relax."

He looked up at her. "Did you let that nutter in here?"

Tony laughed behind Rose. He clapped his hands. "Minions. Come on! Ice cream for breakfast! That was the deal! You did a great job. Uncle Tony is very proud of each of you!"

All three of the children wiggled free and ran out of the room. Stark pointed back at him. "I've got the kids upstairs with Jack. He didn't think I'd do it, and I knew you didn't want him to wake you up. I'll be back. You've got an hour."

Tony walked out of the suite.

Rose turned and looked at The Doctor. "Now what is that about?"

He shook his head as he pulled the duvet back over himself. "I honestly have no idea. What is he up to?"

Rose laughed as shook her head. "I have no idea. I'm going to take a shower. Lewis has Sam. He is showing him off to Licio. I didn't realize he was on the ship."

"Yeah, I knew you wouldn't mind. Luce will be here this afternoon. I told them to stay with us so they could all be together. It was a late night, drunken decision." He smiled at her.

She giggled, then became serious. "Last night."

He rubbed his face. "Oh, the gods. I knew you were going to ask me about-"

"No, I'm not. I just wanted to tell you that I'm so, very sorry. I don't need to know what happened to feel how bad it still hurts. I worry I caused that when I was messing with your head."

He sighed as he held out his hand. She came and sat down on the bed next to him. "I won't lie to you. That's exactly what happened. I need to go back through there and shut some doors. Lock a few things away. Your mind is like a huge vault. When I went back through there to sort everything out, I reopened everything. There are things I have blocked from myself that I don't want to completely forget, but I don't want to think of either. I know there are things I have hidden, out in the stars, you remember. You saw me throw something there. But, sometimes I'll just throw things into a vault like place. Does that make sense?"

Rose looked at him. "It does. I would like you to show me how to do that."

He smiled at her. "It's not that difficult. Think about something you would rather not think about. Center it in your mind. As if you bring it out to fully look it over. Bring all of the emotion with it. Remember how you felt. You need to put that with it."

Rose closed her eyes as she held his hand. She looked determined. "Alright. I have it."

He held her hand and told her softly. "Imagine a box. Put the memory, and the emotions there, inside of it."

Rose thought and he could feel her sadness. He wiped a tear that ran down her cheek. He told her quietly. "Once they are all in the box, imagine a lid and close it. Put the box into a room in your mind and close the door. It's just that simple."

Rose opened her eyes and smiled at him. He wiped tears that rolled out of her eyes.

Rose whispered to him. "Thank you. I really didn't know it was that easy."

He smiled at her. "Just try not to fill up the room. As you tell me all of the time, life isn't just sunshine and roses. There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so."

She looked at him. "You're quoting Shakespeare again. I know that one."

He smiled at her. "You smell lovely."

She laughed, "I'm sure! Right. I've been running and I'm all sweaty-"

"I love that smell. That's how you smell after we've made love, and I'm covered in sweat, too."

She smiled at him. "Are you serious? After all of these months? I always go take a shower before I wake you up. Do you mean to tell me you prefer me like this?"

He looked down and ran his hand across her hip. "Maybe sometimes like this, maybe sometimes when you smell like candy."

Rose smiled at him. "Come take a shower with me. We have managed to shove off four children for awhile and have some time to ourselves."

He raised his eyebrows as he picked her up and ran to the bathroom. "What the hell are we having telepathy lessons for? Damn it, woman! We only have 55 minutes and 32 seconds!"

Rose laughed at him as she held onto his neck. He sat her down as they got into the bathroom. The floor was tiled in dark grey, and the walls were white. A small cupboard stood to the side of the shower doors. It held white towels and a few dresses Rose had hung in there. He reached in and turned on the shower. He also clicked a few other buttons which caused steam to come out of the shower as a blue light came on in the top of the shower.

"Now, what did you do?" Rose asked him.

He looked surprised at her. "I didn't show you this?"

"Apparently not."

He smiled, "Quick lesson on how to use a shower on a ship. Well, this one anyway. Blue light, kills bacteria. It helps keep the shower clean. Steam helps you stay warm no matter where you end up in the shower, and vanilla scented water. I like that over the lavender."

Rose looked surprised. "What the hell? I don't know anything about scented water."

"Phhhh….. it's just here, woman, this dial. Oh. Ummm. Sorry. Yeah, you probably can't read that." He gritted his teeth as he looked back at her. "Sorry about that. Ah, play with it and see which one you like the best. Genie prefers this berry scented one. The boys like the mint."

He shook his head, "I would have thought you would have known that."

Rose rolled her eyes at him as she took off her shirt. "I really hadn't thought about it being different."

He rubbed his beard as he watched her. "Oh…." He said quietly.

She took down her hair and shook it out. He continued to look at her and breathed in slowly. She slid off her running shorts and knickers as he stared at her.

She looked at him. "So, these are these pants?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

She smiled at him, "Your pants. These are these super, awesome pants?"

He looked down at his pants. "Oh! Yes! Pants! Yes."

She laughed at him, "They really don't look very different."

He looked at them. "Sure they do! What's wrong with you?"

Rose pointed at them. "Okay, they look like the pants you always wore. They are stretchy everywhere."

"No, the legs are a bit bigger."

"They look like they are made of cotton."

He put his hands on his hips and shook his head. "They are made of radiehe. It's like….silk and cotton together."

"Okay, whatever. The opening in the front looks smaller."

He laughed, "That's because it's wider. It's sewn differently. The entire front is bigger. Allows for expansion of certain parts."

She rolled her eyes as she stepped into the shower. "Whatever makes you happy. They look the same."

He took them off and pointed at her as he stepped in the shower and closed the door. "I've decided I'm converting Stark. He's going to start wearing these, too. Jack already does! He got himself and Jake some. Legate and Logan are getting some this morning."

Rose laughed at him as stood under the shower. He ran his hands through her hair. Rose said, "Imagine it. We're going to leave Plentitude and there will be a planet-wide shortage of pants because of this ship."

He laughed at her as he turned to get her shampoo. His bracelet lit up. He tapped it to send it to voicemail, but accidently accepted the call. He realized his mistake a moment too late. "Hi Pete."

Rose opened her eyes and looked at him. _'Really?'_ She asked him in her head.

 _'I didn't mean to answer that.'_ He told her.

He started washing her hair as she laughed quietly at him. Pete spoke. "Hey! You're a hard man to get a hold of."

Rose teased him in his head as she ran her fingers up and down his back. _'Not quite yet.'_

 _'Mean woman.'_ He told her as he smiled. "Yeah, you caught me in the shower, Pete."

"Oh, good thing this isn't a video call then, huh?" Pete told him.

He smiled at Rose as she rinsed her hair out. He stood back and watched her. "Oh, you have no idea."

"Well, I'm sure you are pissed about this Idles thing."

"Nah, I'm honestly not." He told him as he watched Rose lather herself up. She teased him as she rubbed her breasts and puckered her lips at him. He ran his hand across his beard. She could feel his thoughts just stop.

"You sound distracted. You alright, son?" Pete asked.

"No. I mean, yeah. I mean. Ugh. No, that was your call, Pete. Not mine." He told him.

Rose turned and whispered, "Really? Are you alright?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist. He brought his finger up to his lips, and kissed her quietly.

"Uhhh. Well, alright. That's not what I thought you would say at all-" Pete told him.

"Nah, I had a long think about it, Pete and you are the one that would have to make that call. I'm not patriarch of this family. You are. I'm simply, 'the son in law'."

Rose looked at him, confused. _'Okay, what's going on?'_

He kissed her quickly. "Pete. Let me talk to you in a bit. I have to get ready to do an interview in a few minutes. I'll call you later today. There are some things I need to discuss with you that will take a bit of time. Alright?"

"Right, son!" Pete ended the call.

Rose looked at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Are you alright?"

He smiled as he ran his hands down her body, "I'm fine."

"You're simply the son in law? What is that about?" Rose asked him.

He shrugged his shoulders as he smiled. "Well, it's true. This is a family, this is how this works. Pete has to decide certain things, not me. Even if I don't agree with them."

Rose looked at him. He could feel her confusion and concern.

He tapped his bracelet. "Friday, please play our shagging music here in the bathroom and the bedroom."

"Yes, Captain Speed Racer." Friday replied.

He closed his eyes and shook his head at the reply. "Those guys." Edge of the Ocean by ivy started to play.

Rose smiled. " _Our_ shagging music?"

"Yep. I don't know why we had it separate for all of these months. I combined them. I hope that's alright." He told her.

Rose smiled at him. "That actually makes me very happy."

"That's the only thing I messed with. I just-"

"Shhhh….. how much more time do we have?" Rose asked him as she rubbed his chest.

He smiled as he leaned in to kiss her. "Who knows? These guys can't tell time."

They enjoyed a lovely snog in the shower. After a little while, he stopped kissing her and held up his finger. "Okay, then you can turn off the shower." He turned it off, and showed her another button that he pressed. "Then turn on the dryers. That way you don't have to use a towel if you don't want to."

Rose smiled at him as the dryers blew the water off of them. "This is really neat. Does the hospital lifts still give you a shower when you use them?"

He turned around and pressed the button again to turn off the dryers. "No. They don't. That's disinfectant that they start using in several hundred years. They haven't begun that yet."

He opened the door and helped her out of the shower. She quickly pulled him close to her and kissed him. He laughed at her. "I wasn't expecting you to be so energetic."

She smiled at him as she pushed him backwards into the bedroom. "Friday, close our bedroom door and lock it."

"Yes, ma'am." Friday said.

She pushed him until he fell backwards onto the bed. She climbed on top of him. "I think you are still asleep. I've been up for a while."

"I personally just got up myself." He teased her.

She smiled at him as she sat on his waist. "Cheeky." She leaned down and kissed his lips again.

"Before I forget, what the hell got you so excited last night? My pulse was racing." Rose asked him.

He gritted his teeth. He knew she was talking about the car chase. "Ummm. Let's just go back to the snogging. Shall we?"

She looked at him curiously. "I can sense that. I'll be proper cross, won't I?"

"You, being nude and integrating me, just doesn't work. It's not threatening at all."

She put her hands on her hips and looked down at him. "You'll tell me later?"

"Ummm…. yep." He agreed.

"How much later?"

"That's to be determined. Damn it, Rose! We don't have a lot of time. Are we going to do this or what?"

He could feel that Rose was very determined. She lay on top of him and kissed him. He ran his hands from her bum, up her sides. Rose rolled over in the bed, so he rolled over and lay on top of her.

He smiled as he kissed her on the end of the nose, "What is it that you want?"

She stroked him in her hand. He closed his eyes tightly, "Oh, wow. I love that."

Rose told him. "Tell me more about this sensitive area that empaths enjoy more than most people."

He smiled. "Well, it's just like I said. The more sensitive the area, the more emotions you can feel from the other person."

He rubbed his fingers between her legs, "Like here. I'm touching this on you. My favorite area of yours. Feel my emotions." He whispered to her, then leaned down and kissed her again. She felt his love, his lust, his excitement.

He told her quietly, "You have me in your hand. Oh, my most sensitive area. Can you feel my emotions there, too?" She ran her fingers around his staff to tease him.

She moaned as he continued to rub the area between her legs. "Oh, yes."

He pulled her legs up and had her rest her knees on his shoulders as he slipped inside of her. "Now, they are together." He kissed her and she sucked his bottom lip. He laid his forehead to hers and looked into her eyes. "Can you feel my love for you?"

She smiled at him and whispered, "It is overwhelming. Can you feel mine?"

He caught her lips with his as he started to thrust inside of her. He could feel her pleasure as his tongue danced with hers. His mind went completely quiet, and she noticed hers did, too. He put his hands on the sides of her face and rubbed her cheeks with his thumbs.

She started to cry out as her lip quivered. She moaned, loudly. He smiled at her, "I knew you would love this position."

She pulled a pillow over on her face so she could scream into it. He pulled the pillow away as he thrust into her deeper and kissed her. She felt her mind go completely blank. She could only think about how good it felt, how much he loved her, and how much they both where enjoying themselves together. It filled her mind until it overwhelmed her and she cried loudly.

He moaned as Rose felt her entire body tingle. He ran his hand down to her breasts and rubbed them.

She whispered, "Please, just a bit more."

He returned to kissing her and continued to thrust. She cried out again as he moaned her name. She ran her fingernails down his back, then brought her hands back up to his wet hair and ran her fingers through it.

He moaned again as he continued to snog her. After a few minutes, he sat back on the bed. He took her legs off of his shoulders and laid them out straight. He rubbed her thighs. "They are still stiff. How much did you run this morning?"

"Only a few kilometers-"

"Only a few kilometers, which probably means like 20 with you. You need to take it slow." He told her as he rubbed her thighs. Rose could only lie in the bed and try to catch her breath. He smiled at her.

"Proud of yourself?" She asked him.

He continued to rub her thighs, "Oh, yes. Very proud indeed. Anytime I can make you shout that loud, it's been a good time."

"Oh, I did not shout that loud-"

He laughed at her, "Oh, yes you did. They probably heard you on the planet."

She pulled a pillow over her face. He heard her muffled voice. "Oh my God! I hope you are kidding me."

He pulled the pillow off her face and caressed her cheek. "Have I told you today, that I love you?"

She smiled, "I love that you ask me that every day."

He smiled at her, "I promise I'll say it every day. Make you feel it every day."

He kissed her as she ran her hands through his hair again. He chuckled at her as he reached over her to get her phone off of the shelf next to the bed. "Didn't shout. Right, Rose. I knew what I was doing."

"You are not going to let me forget this for a while, are you?" Rose asked him.

He lay down next to her and pulled up the duvet back over them. He ran his hand through his hair as he lay back. "I won't have to. I'm certain of that."

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Typical bloke."

He held the phone out and took their picture together. Rose giggled at him. He clicked a few things on her phone, then lay it back on the shelf. "There. Photo evidence of post shouting."

Rose covered her face and laughed. "I swear. If any of the guys say anything about this…."

Then he heard it. "Our music is still playing. I just realized that."

Rose laughed, "What song is this?"

"Ummm…." He thought. "'Slowly' is the name if it. Oh! It's by Max Sedgley. It's not as popular now as it will be in about 30 years."

Rose sat up and looked at him. "You and Tony are doing what today? An interview?"

"We have an interview on the telly. Someone blew up something at the Expo last night, so Pepper wants him to get on and do damage control. I'm there for moral support."

"Is that why you were so excited last night?"

He bit his lip. "Umm…. Not exactly."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him. "Care to explain yourself?"

He rubbed his beard as he looked at her. "Ugh. Well, we all went out to dinner together."

She lay down on his chest and started to kiss it. "Yes? Dinner. With the guys. Then what?"

He groaned at her. "Oh, I love this. Can we just say to hell with everything and stay like this all day? I'll take some more pictures. Make you shout."

Rose looked up at him and smiled, "You have stuff to do. I could remain here."

"Oh, great. But that imagine in my mind." He complained.

She kissed his neck, "I'm just teasing. I have a million things to do today, too."

He pulled her up to his face and caught her lips to kiss her again. "Okay. I need to tell you what happened before you find out from someone else. I have a car-"

Rose sat up. The duvet fell off of her nude body. She didn't seem to notice, even though he did and could think about little else. He raised his hands to run down her nude body. He exclaimed something in Gallifreyan.

She looked down at him looking at her breasts. She moved to sit on his waist and took his hands in hers. She put his hands on her body and told him, "You can touch any part of me while you are talking."

He answered absentmindedly. "Sounds fair."

"First, what did you just say?"

He continued to run his hands from her breasts, to her hips. He was completely focused on her body. She was determined to use it to her advantage.

She whispered as she encouraged his hands, "What did you say?"

He said the Gallifreyan words again. Then said, "I'm sorry. I said that you are so beautiful. I find peace in your presence."

Rose smiled, "That is beautiful. Keep touching whatever you like."

He glanced up at her, and then continued to caress her body. "I need to talk to you about something." He told her. But, his brain had shorted out looking at her body.

"Tell me, you have a car?"

"Yes. It is black. Really nice. Me and the guys went out for a drive last night." He told her.

Rose lay down on the bed and he sat up to continue running his hands up and down her body. She encouraged him. "Why do you have a car?"

He kissed her chest, "The hospital gave it to me."

"They have given you a ship, anything any of us want while we are here, and now a car. What are you not telling me?" Rose asked him.

He continued to kiss her body and told her quietly, "I've told you everything, sweetheart. I'm working with the hospital."

Rose ran her hands through his hair. "Something doesn't add up. You have one patient. She's a princess, I get that. But, there's something else."

He continued to kiss her chest and stomach. "I've explained this."

She wiggled down in the bed until she was face to face with him, "No you haven't. Explain to me what's really happening here."

"Well, I was kissing your sexy bo-"

"Hell, I know that! You know what I'm on about."

He rolled over on his back and ran his hand through his hair. "Damn. I would marry such a clever woman. I'm surprised I've kept this from you this long."

Rose sat up and looked at him, "Go on."

"Well, this will earn me a Tyler punch most likely, but I agreed to be what they call here, 'The Princeps'…. Well…. I think you would probably call it a 'Chief Physician'. I am the Doctor in charge of all of the doctors here on Plentitude."

"The entire planet?"

"It's a hospital planet, Rose." He told her.

Rose shook her head. "Are you nuts? We aren't going to stay here!"

He shook his head. "No, we're not. We're going to go back home as soon as I'm finished with Princess Ashena. Rose, I've been doing this for months. I look over the records that are sent to me on Earth and direct the doctors here. I had to come out here because King Clagl asked for me directly. An exception was made."

Rose held up her hand, "The hell? Okay, help me understand. You are working at Torchwood as a co-Director with Dad, you have this business with Dad, and you are also working as a Chief Physician here?"

He held up a finger, "Don't forget I'm also own several bars which are also becoming hotels and museums, dabble in real estate, the tutoring for the children's homes, building better children's homes throughout the world, book publishing… oh, and being a husband and father. It's a sign of PTSD I'm hearing. Now that's gone, I wonder if I will enjoy being so busy all of the time."

"Why did you keep that from me?" Rose asked him.

"I didn't know how to explain it to you. I worried you would fear it would cause me to leave. You, pregnant with Sam. You had to remain as calm as possible. I'm really sorry, but those are my reasons. But, in fairness, I'm telling you now. And you are welcome to give me a Tyler punch if you feel it necessary. I know I deserve it."

Rose looked at him, "What else is going on? I can feel that."

He sighed, "I've managed to get a bounty on my head somehow. We sortof had a …. umm… car chase last night. That thing will haul ass." He said impressed.

Rose smacked his chest. "What the actual hell? And you are in a high speed car chase?! Who all was in the damn car? A bounty? Who have you pissed off? What have you done?"

He laughed, "Oh, I love how proper cross you are right now."

"Out with it!"

He shook his head. "I have no idea. I'm going to put Lewis to work on it. But, you needed to know because I don't want you down on the surface unaware of this going on."

She sighed. "Damn. It's just like back on Earth. It's like we can't get away from this."

He grabbed her hand. "We are safe. I wouldn't let us be in harm's way. We have Quauhtin warriors protecting our family. A ship with shields, weapons and scramblers. There's no safer place in the Universe than right here."

Rose looked at him in disbelief. "Are you certain?"

"Sweetheart, if I thought that someone could come on board this ship and hurt you, or one of the children, I'd send you back to the island. There are many safeguards on a ship like this. Trust me. You are safe. The children are safe."

Rose sighed, "So, we have to remain on the ship the rest of the time we are here?"

"No. The wristband you have has a scrambler in it. So, does the location devices on the children. It prevents anyone from transporting you without a certain code."

"Sam doesn't have one. Is this why you became so frightened….."

He bit his lip. "No. That was me being stupid. I don't want him on the surface at all. He's too small and there are a lot of things he can be exposed to that his body might not be able to fight off yet. He's to remain here. On the ship."

He pulled her hand up and kissed her wrist. "Rose. Do not worry about this. We said 'no secrets' and I'm trying to stop keeping things from you. I'm sorry I did for so long. You needed to know this."

Rose leaned down and kissed him. She whispered. "We need to get you ready to be on the telly."

He smiled up at her. "We have some more time. Can I have just seven more minutes here with you?"

"Seven?" Rose teased him. "Take eight!"

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx


	18. Chapter 18 - CNN Interview

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx

Chapter 18 - CNN Interview

The Doctor stood in front of the mirror in his suite, putting on his tie. Rose wrapped her arms around him from behind.

"What do you say? A hotel for the two of us, tonight?" she asked him.

"Oh, I know just the place. I'll make the arrangements, my dear." He smiled.

Rose giggled at him as she walked over to the food replicator and asked for a cup of tea.

The Doctor turned and looked back at her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, why?" Rose asked him.

He buttoned his vest up on his suit. "I don't know. I feel like there's something there. Something I need to ask about. Are you sure?"

Rose looked back at him. "Where are you and Tony doing this interview?"

"In here, on the sofa. I can pull the drapes over the window there, and it will look…..Earthy." He told her as he pulled his jacket off of the back of chair and put it on. Rose was wearing a pair of jeans and one of the Doctor's oxford shirts.

He looked back at her and smiled. "I probably need to get some more shirts so you have a better assortment."

She turned back to him and smiled. "That's not a bad idea."

The door buzzed. The Doctor yelled, "Come in!"

Stark opened the door. He was wearing a suit and his trademark sunglasses. He saw Rose first. He attempted a British accent. "Why my dear, Rose Tyler! Having a spot of tea? Want to be on the telly with us?"

Rose sipped her tea. "I think he's suffering from something. He might need an appointment with you, Chief."

The Doctor looked back in the mirror and ran his hand through his hair. "Ugh. Chief. I can see it now."

Tony snatched off his sunglasses and looked back at the Doctor. "Chief? What's that about?"

Rose looked at The Doctor. "Turns out, he's not just working at the hospital, he's the Chief Physician down there."

Tony laughed, "What? Are you really? Wait a minute. I knew about this already."

Rose threw her hand up in the air. "What the hell do you mean you knew about this already?"

"Well, he was going over some files one night when I was at the apartment, sorry, flat in London with him. It was before you guys moved to the island. I asked him about it, and he said he was double checking some of the doctor's work at a hospital. You didn't know?"

Rose walked over to Stark and hit him in the shoulder. "No! I fucking didn't!"

Tony rubbed his shoulder. "Ow. Hey! I don't want to get involved in a domestic disturbance here. Should I call some Quauthin to protect you, Doc'?"

The Doctor shook his head. "They can't do anything for me if Rose decides to beat my ass."

"You're kidding!" Stark exclaimed.

"Nope. I've already had a case where Jackie Tyler was going to smack me, and I tried to get Lewis to get her off of me. That's when I found out."

Stark laughed as he walked over to the sofa and sat down. "Hey, man. Your glasses are over here." Then, he picked up the book that the Doctor had fell asleep reading and looked at the title. "Dude. You're reading this?"

Rose looked at Stark. "He fell asleep reading that last night. I don't even know what it is."

"The Mystery of Edwin Drood. First edition. I'm impressed, man." Stark said as he handed it to the Doctor.

Rose looked confused. "I didn't know you still had that."

He slipped it in his pocket. "I keep it in my pocket. I have since you gave it to me when I first got here."

Rose smiled in disbelief. "Wow. I had forgotten about that."

The door buzzed again. "Come in." the Doctor called.

Lewis came in with Genie. She ran over and jumped in The Doctor's arms. "Lewis says you are going to be on the telly with Tony. Are you?"

"Yes, we are." He told her.

Stark smiled at her. "You should be on the telly with us. What do you think, Doc'?"

The Doctor looked at Tony, "I don't know if that's a good idea-"

"Dude. She's a kid! And she's a cute kid! It will help our public relations. Trust me. This isn't my first circus. Genie, go put on a cute dress."

Genie jumped down and ran into her bedroom. The Doctor looked back at Stark and held out his hands. "Damn it. What if she says something about where we are?"

"Oh, hell. She won't. She's got a brain in her head. You worry too damn much. Besides, it's not live. I don't think. Is it Lewis?"

Lewis looked as concerned as the Doctor was. "Ugh. I think it is."

Stark waved them off as he put back on his sunglasses. "Oh, the hell with it. She's a kid! They won't believe her anyway. Trust me."

The Doctor pointed at Stark. "Rose!"

Stark laughed, "And he's going for the win with the lady."

Rose laughed as she held up her hands. "I'm not in this. I'm going to get Sam. Have a good interview." She kissed his cheek as she walked out of the room.

He ran his hands through his hair again in frustration and said something in Gallifreyan.

Stark pointed at him. "That was a swear. I don't even have to speak that weird ass language to know that. $100 says it was 'fuck'. Lewis? Your guess?"

Lewis looked back at the Doctor and smiled, "I'd say it was 'damn it'."

The Doctor looked at them both for a bit. Then pointed at Lewis. "He wins."

Lewis laughed as he rubbed his hands together. "Right!"

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxx

Stark walked around the suite sipping a cup of coffee. Genie sat in The Doctor's lap on the sofa in a cute purple dress. She looked like a little princess.

The Doctor was braiding her hair as Stark looked on and sipped a cup of coffee. "I have to admit it, man. I think I've slept better these past few days than I have in years. Any idea why?"

The Doctor smiled, "That could be several things. Rose is sleeping well, too. It's either the vibration of the engines, which we're not too far from here, or the heated mattress on the beds."

Tony nodded his head. "That could be it. I'm telling you. I can't remember sleeping like this. I was wondering if you were drugging me or something. How about you, Lewis?"

Lewis smiled, "I've not slept too much. Been busy."

Tony rolled his eyes, "Nevermind. I shouldn't have asked. Geez."

The Doctor smiled, "I think Genie is sleeping good, too. She hasn't been in my bed with me and her mum for days."

Genie smiled, "I never wake up. I just go to sleep!"

Lewis laughed, "She's playing and wearing herself out during the day. It's good for her."

The Doctor finished her hair. "I completely agree! There! All finished."

The screen beeped as Friday told them, "Captain Speed Racer. There is a call for you. It has been routed to your screen as requested."

Stark sat down next to The Doctor, "Right on, Friday. Put it through." He mumbled as he straightened up his jacket, "Let's get this shit over with."

Lewis sat in a chair out of view of the screen. The reporter was doing a simple video call with them. The woman reporter came on the same television screen that Pete had spoken to Rose on the day before. Genie smiled at it and covered her mouth in surprise. The Doctor smiled at her excitement and kissed her cheek.

The reporter told them, "We're not live yet. Oh, will your daughter be joining us?"

The Doctor looked at Genie. "At least for part of it. She might find it boring and go off with our bodyguard."

The reporter nodded her head and smiled. "Oh, this will be wonderful."

Tony looked back at the Doctor and whispered. "Is she…..?"

The Doctor looked confused, "What?"

"You know….." He whispered looked back at the reporter. The Doctor realized Stark was asking if the reporter was an alien.

"Oh!" The Doctor looked at the woman on the screen. "I'm not certain. Give me a few minutes. I can tell you."

Stark shook his head as he propped it on his hand and complained quietly. "Booga, weird shit in here."

The reporter turned to them, "With me now. I have Tony Stark and Doctor Johnathon Smith. Thank you, gentlemen, for joining me tonight."

Both of the men nodded their heads and thanked her for having them. Tony leaned up and sat down his coffee cup on the table in front of them.

"First of all, I'd like you to introduce everyone to the charming young lady who is also joining us." The reporter said.

The Doctor smiled, "Tell them your name, sweetheart."

Genie smiled at her. "My name is Genie. This is my Daddy and my Tony."

Both of the men smiled at her proudly.

The reporter smiled. "She's adorable. Mr. Stark, it's only came to light that you are such a close friend to the Tyler family, and in particular, Doctor Johnathon Smith."

Tony looked at The Doctor. "Well, I'm not a kiss and tell sort of guy."

The Doctor smiled, "Tony is Genie's godfather. He's a close family friend. He has been for a while."

Tony nodded his head. "That's why I had him and Rose come help me open the Stark Expo. Two brilliant minds. I knew it would encourage some young people."

The reporter spoke, "And by Rose, you are speaking of Doctor Rose Tyler who won the Nobel Prize in Physics this year."

Tony held up his finger to make a point. "I believe she's actually Doctor Rose Tyler-Smith. Isn't that right?"

The Doctor nodded his head.

The reporter smiled, "My apologies. It has been circulated that Dorian Idles was behind the kidnapping and other terrorist attacks towards the Tyler family. Do you have any comment on the recent news of his assassination?"

Tony waved his hand, "He had made a lot of enemies. It's unfortunate he didn't have better security. I believe they said it was what? A home invasion, Doc'?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I honestly hadn't heard what it was determined."

Tony looked back at The Doctor. "He had came to see you, hadn't he?"

The Doctor patted Genie's knee as he nodded his head. "He had. I had several meetings with him."

"Can you tell us what the meetings were about?" the reporter asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't remember. I couldn't discuss it anyway."

The reporter nodded her head. "I see. Doctor Smith, I'd like to discuss the rumors about Doctor Rose Tyler-Smith." The reporter continued.

"Sure. What would you like to know?"

"Well, everyone wonders where she is. No one has seen her for months. There are rumors she was injured, and then that she had died."

The Doctor leaned his forehead into Genie's. She smiled at him. He spoke, "That's just madness. As you know, Rose grew up living a normal, private life. It was only within the past few years that she was thrust in the spotlight. She was ready for a break from it all, so that's what's been happening. She's just stepped back and is busy being a wife and mum at the moment. She's fine."

"But you have to admit. It is kindof strange that she just disappeared." The reporter said.

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't find it strange. Rose, and the family, have been through a lot. It's my job to ensure her safety. Even more so now that she's my wife. The terrorist activity that the Tyler family has been dealing with for the past four years has been enough for anyone to rethink their plans. I don't think it's unreasonable for Rose to want to take a break from the spotlight."

The reporter asked, "Mr. Stark. Do you agree with Doctor Smith?"

"Why wouldn't I? He's my friend. As his friend, it's my job to help him protect his family. I encouraged her to take a step back. When John brought her to the Expo opening, I was surprised to see her."

"Well, to be honest, she was surprised too. I didn't tell her what we were doing. I just took her there." The Doctor told Stark.

Stark looked at him and laughed, "That explains that."

The reporter continued, "Mr. Stark. In light of the tragedy last night at the Expo, do you regret reopening the event?"

Tony shook his head. "I do not. Not one bit. And I'll explain why. These people who are so determined that my friends here need to be, eliminated, really need to rethink their reasons why. It was rumored that Rose Tyler was an alien because she showed up the same time as the Cybermen. Then it was rumored that John is an alien. Really? Does he even look like an alien? Do you think Pete Tyler, one of the most successful businessmen in the world, would allow his daughter to marry an alien?"

The Doctor smiled as he pressed his forehead to Genie's again.

The Doctor quickly looked over at Stark, "But…."

Tony recovered, "But, I am very sorry to hear that such a terrible thing did occur. I would like to offer my condolences to the victims' families. It's my understanding that security there is at the highest it can be now. Other measures have been put into place. President Shepherd has even sent out some of the National Guard to ensure the Expo is safe."

The reporter asked, "There have been many celebrities that have made appearances there since the opening. One has to ask why you haven't been back to the Expo since the opening? Either one of you?"

They looked at one another. Tony bit his lip. "Ummm. Well, the truth is, I'm under his care. I've had a bit of a health scare."

The Doctor nodded his head. "It's true. But, he is doing fine. I just don't think it would be advisable for him to be around so many people with his immune system so low at the moment."

Tony nodded his head, "Yes. I'm undergoing treatment. I think it's going alright."

The Doctor smiled at him. "He'll be fine. Just needs to step back for a bit." The Doctor leaned in quickly and kissed Genie's cheek, causing her to smile.

The reporter said, "Oh, I am sorry to hear that, Mr. Stark. We do wish you all the best on your recovery."

Stark waved it off as he looked back at Genie and smiled.

"One final question for you two men while I have you on. The two of you are famous for your inventions that have honestly changed the world. Is there anything we can look forward to that will see you working together?"

They looked at one another and smiled. The Doctor spoke. "That's a good question."

Stark leaned back and looked at him. "It is. I'm not sure. I mean, we work on stuff together quite a bit, but…. well…."

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know if the world is quite ready for that, yet."

Stark looked back at the screen and smiled. "That's right."

The reporter smiled, "Thank you gentlemen, and Genie, for joining us tonight."

They nodded and thanked her. Then the screen went blank.

Friday spoke, "The transmission has ended, Captain Speed Racer."

Lewis stood up and rubbed his hands. "Well, damn! That went better than I thought it would."

Tony leaned across the sofa, held Genie's face and kissed her forehead. "Genie! You're a gem! You've probably tripled stocks in my company and your Dad's just by being in that interview with us!"

Genie covered her mouth and giggled. "That was fun!" She jumped off of the sofa and ran into her bedroom to change.

Tony looked back at The Doctor. "I can't believe how quiet she was. I didn't expect that. It thought she would say something."

The Doctor smiled. "She talked through the entire thing. I was talking to her. She was being silly."

Tony looked back at him. "You were doing some weird alien shit again, weren't you?"

"Ugh. No. Genie is telepathic. As long as our skin is touching, we can speak to one another in our minds. I thought you knew that."

"Is everyone in your family telepathic? How do you guys find one another? I mean, she's adopted! I was there when you signed the damn papers." Tony complained.

He looked at Lewis and shook his head. Tony noticed. "Hell you are talking to him, too! Is everyone on this ship telepathic but me?"

The Doctor laughed, "No. Everyone's not."

Tony put back on his sunglasses. "Well those damn bloodsuckers should be happy for another few days. We can get back to our Plentitude holiday. Maybe doing that interview will get Pepper off of my back." He looked back at the Doctor, "And how about that? I didn't even need cards! My press writer can kiss my ass!"

Lewis smiled at Stark as he walked through the door. "Great job, Genie!" He yelled before the door closed.

The Doctor turned to Lewis and laughed, "When I think this family can't get any more mad, we import more madness."

Lewis laughed, "Wait until you hear my idea."

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	19. Chapter 19 - A Snog in the Cupboard

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Chapter 19 - A Snog in the Cupboard

The Doctor held out both of his hands to steady himself. "Hang on, Lewis. I need to ready myself for your idea. Last idea of yours got me shot in the head."

Lewis smiled, "But, it got us our guy."

"Sortof." The Doctor agreed.

"Alright, sortof. I had a think about it, and Choo Tchou has to be the one that has put out the bounty on you."

The Doctor put his hands on his hips. "I haven't thought about that. You're probably right. She had me sword fight with her bodyguards and mate, and I beat them. Then I used my watch to pop back on the ship. Good thought, Lewis. I'm certain it's her. She's a Vroeelp, and her intentions are not good. If she can't have me, she won't let anyone else. Ugh. What a mess."

Lewis nodded his head. "Indeed. I talked to Licio and Lance about it. I think it would be wise to move Princess Ashena to this ship so you can continue her treatment and we can ensure safety for you both."

He sighed, "Damn. I think you're right. Rose wanted to go down to the surface tonight. Get a hotel."

Lewis patted his shoulder. "That can be arranged. Go ahead with that and just keep your scramblers on. If you need us, we can pop right to you. The Quauhtin of the Andromedaens are being briefed now about the situation and plan to bring her aboard."

Genie ran out of the bedroom and jumped in The Doctor's arms. He smiled at her. "My Sara Gene. What are your plans today?"

"Legate is going to take us out for a space ride in his rocket ship! Jacob and Tony are very excited!"

"That does sound like fun! I want you to count how many ships you see outside and ring me as soon as you are finished to tell me how many you saw. Alright?" he asked her.

She smiled, "Alright, Daddy."

He let her back down on the floor and she ran out of the suite. The door closed behind her.

Lewis appeared to be in deep thought. He rose his head, "Alright. Everything is arranged. King Clagl, is that his name?"

The Doctor nodded, "Yes."

"He's on the surface with his daughter. There's no Quauhtin present with him. I'll transport down with you and explain everything. We'll bring Licio to present us." Lewis told him.

"Arla will be alright with you leaving without her? I told her I wouldn't take you away from her."

Lewis smiled, "She knows this is a working holiday. A Quauhtin is never truly off duty. Summus isn't here and I outrank everyone. I'm the one who would have to do this."

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The Doctor, Lewis and Licio walked into Princess Ashena's hospital room. King Clagl stood up, laughed and shook Lewis' hand.

"This is remarkable! You must be Lewis, the brother who is to be wed." King Clagl said.

Lewis smiled, "I am. It is my pleasure to meet you at last, your majesty."

King Clagl waved his hand, "Oh, please. Licio is like family to us. Which makes you and your other brothers our family, too. Please. Call me Clagl."

Lewis nodded his head and smiled. "Yes. Thank you. And I wanted to personally thank you for sending for Luce. I honestly can't tell you when the last time we were all together was."

King Clagl laughed, "Imagine my surprise to find out Licio was a quad. I know why he didn't tell me for so many years. He said it made him seem less. But, I disagree. I find it makes him even more interesting."

Lewis looked at Licio and smiled.

Licio spoke, "Clagl. A bounty has been put out on The Doctor's head. A pirate named Choo Tchou has been spotted nearby and we fear for the Princess' safety because of the association. It has been recommended by Lewis, Lance and by myself to move her to Doctor Smith's ship which is currently in orbit, where she can be protected by myself and the Quauhtin there."

King Clagl nodded his head. "You have a medical ship?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Everything down here is up there. Better versions in a lot of cases. She'll just be down the hall from me and your family would be very welcome to join her."

Princess Ashena had been listening behind them. "May I please see the story of the War of the Stars while I'm there?"

The Doctor laughed, "It's called Star Wars, Princess. And yes. There are seven of those movies and I'll ensure you see them all."

The Princess smiled, "Oh, please Father. Licio will be there, and these are his brothers."

The King nodded his head. "I think it is a wise arrangement. Thank you for your hospitality. Very good, Lewis. I would like to ask you something."

"Yes, sir. What is it?"

"Licio is one of my dearest friends. I'm sure the Doctor knows of the friendship you form with a Quauthin Warrior over the years. It is an odd arrangement. They are not servants, but not your soldiers to direct either. They remain to protect your family as if they are their own. I would like to repay the kindness Licio has always shown my family, as well as the kindness you have shown to yours that has obviously earned you the respect you rightly deserve."

Lewis looked at The Doctor and Licio curiously. "Uh. Just doing what we're supposed to-"

"Indeed. And doing a great job at it. You will wed this week?"

Lewis smiled, "Yes. In two days. We want to return to Earth married."

King Clagl nodded, "I understand. Perfect. It is a huge honor in the Andromedaen culture to attend such an event. I would like to humbly ask, who do you have that will join you and your bride?"

Lewis pointed at The Doctor. "He has agreed to do it."

"He's not one of your Ten?" King Clagl asked.

"Well, he's actually 'One' of my Ten-" Lewis told him.

"Oh, that won't do. Let this man stand as 'One.' It would be my honor to join you and your bride." The King stated.

Lewis' mouth dropped open. Licio smiled, "Wow! That would be wonderful, Clagl! I mean, if that's alright with you, Lewis. It's up to you."

Lewis looked back at The Doctor. "Are you alright with that?"

The Doctor laughed, "It's brilliant! It's up to you, Lewis. What an honor."

Lewis ran his hand through his hair. "It would be an honor, King Cla-"

"Ah! I know I'm King. I'm simply Clagl." He pointed at The Doctor. "And that goes for you, too. You don't hear me calling you 'Princeps'."

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The Doctor walked down the hallway of his ship next to Clagl, Lance and Licio. "Yes, Clagl. This ship is equipped with scramblers and shields. Everyone is safe here."

He nodded his head, "Very good. It's a beautiful ship. It's very bright. Not enough to hurt my eyes, but enough to really open them. Is Earth a bright planet?"

The Doctor smiled, "In places. Have you ever visited there?" They stood waiting to get on the lift.

Clagl shook his head. "I've been as far as Saturn to refuel. I've heard Earth is lovely, but not very accepting to people who are not from there."

The Doctor nodded his head. "It's true. I'm not of that planet myself. I've moved my family to an island away from everything. It's stunning. You are welcome to come visit there anytime. There is also another island, nearby to mine, which is used by visiting crews of ships who need a holiday. The construction of the resort there has just been completed. I hear it's nice."

Lance looked surprised, "I hadn't heard about that. When did that happen?"

The Doctor smiled at him. "It just made sense to have a place like that. So many crews pass by Earth asking to visit. Now they have a place where they can be safe."

Clagl looked impressed. "Very wise."

The Doctor continued to explain, "Not only is this ship equipped with a Universal Translator, but also a virtual assistant. It was created by a friend of mine, who is also onboard. I'd like to introduce you."

Clagl rocked on his feet. "It would be a pleasure!"

The lift door opened to reveal Rose standing there. She laughed, "What are you doing up here? I thought you were down on the surface?"

The Doctor smiled back at her as she stepped off of the lift and took his hand. "King Clagl. Please allow me to present Doctor Rose Tyler-Smith. My wife and other half."

He smiled at her and bowed. "It is my pleasure." He turned to the Doctor, "May I? She's a beautiful creature."

The Doctor smiled, "Umm. He would like to know if he can kiss your hand, Rose. Would that be alright?"

Rose smiled, "That would be fine."

The Doctor nodded his head. Clagl brought Rose's hand to his mouth and kissed it several times, very slowly, then looked at her. "You are a lucky man to have such a lovely thing."

Licio put his hand on Clagl's shoulder and lead him into the lift. "Alright, Clagl. Doctor, I'll have Lance take us up to the Observation Deck. Let me know if you need us."

The door of the lift closed leaving Rose and The Doctor standing in the hallway. Rose pointed at the lift, "And that was who?"

The Doctor laughed at her, "King Clagl. He's Princess Ashena's father. She's onboard. Legate, Logan and the children are watching Star Wars with her in her suite."

Rose threw her arms up at him, "The hell?! You didn't tell me you were bringing royalty up here! I'm wearing jeans, your shirt and walking around in my bare feet."

He put his hands in his pockets as he looked her up and down. "Oh yes-"

She pointed at him. "Stop that. I can feel you undressing me with your eyes."

He smiled as he looked at her. "I'm just remembering something."

She smiled at him, "And what's that?"

He stepped towards her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "When we met the Queen. Well, and the werewolf. You were wearing that little, short skirt. I should have told you how I felt then. I loved that skirt."

She smiled and whispered, "You noticed that. I was trying to get you to notice."

He kissed her, "I did. I remember how it had bits coming off of it. You wore some sort of thin, black … oh, I don't know what they are called."

She giggled at him as she wrapped her hands around his neck, "Was my hair up, or down?"

"Down. And it hadn't fell. That's how you had worn it that day." He told her.

She giggled, "I remember that. You wore that suit. And you didn't wear a tie."

"Oh, I wore a tie. I always did."

Rose laughed, "No, not that day. I remember. You kept complaining that you were cold. I told you put on a long sleeved shirt, and you finally did. Then you put on an oxford on top of it and walked around for hours like that. You were trying to fix something on the TARDIS, I can't remember what. Then we landed, and you put on your jacket thinking you already had on your tie apparently, so I didn't tell you any different."

He thought back. "I think you're right. I thought I had lost a tie that day. Huh."

Rose smiled at him, "Can I borrow you for, five minutes?"

He held her hand as she walked down the hall with him. "Five minutes, huh? I can be gone for about eight. Would that be long enough?"

Rose turned around and rubbed her finger on her lip. "Maybe." She pointed at a door. "That's a cupboard there, isn't it?"

He looked back at it. "Yeah, how do you know that?"

She smiled at him, as he pressed the button and the door opened. She pulled him in the small room and closed the door and typed in a code to lock it. "Alright. Locked. You're mine."

He held up both hands. "Hang on. This is strange. How did you know this was a cupboard?"

She was busy kissing his neck as she unbuttoned his trousers. They fell to the floor. "I would have to find out one day. Really, does it matter?"

"No." he moaned as she slipped his pants down and rubbed his staff to encourage it to get stiff. His eyes rolled back in his head as she kissed his lips. Then he decided, "Wait, yes. It does. You know how to lock the door from the inside. How do you know that?"

She looked at him, "I was on a ship like this before. When I was looking for you. Remember? Here, sit down there."

He was confused, but didn't argue with her and sat on the shelf that sat empty. "How the hell long were you on that ship? Where you alright? Why were you locking yourself in a cupboa-"

Rose put her finger over his lips. "Nothing happened there. I was there for two weeks. I was safe. It wasn't like that. Calm down." She knelt down and took him into her mouth and began to suck.

He groaned something as he spoke in Gallifreyan. "Oh, how I've missed this." He leaned his head back on the wall and closed his eyes.

 _'Go on and scream. I can feel that you want to.'_ Rose teased him.

 _'I can't. The entire ship will hear me, where we are.'_

 _'Go on. You had me shouting this morning.'_

 _'I have royalty on this ship. He doesn't need to know I'm on a pleasure cruise.'_

 _'We are married. He will probably congratulate you on a quick one in a cupboard.'_

 _'I can't even think, woman. Whatever you say.'_ He told her as he beat his head in the wall behind him and bit his lip.

Rose took him out of her mouth and stroked him in her hand. "Now you need to stop making that beating noise. Someone will think we are stuck in here and open the door."

"Woman! You know I can't be quiet if you are going to do that. Come up here." He growled at her.

She giggled at him as she stood up and took off her jeans and knickers, pushing them to the floor. She sat on his lap, then stood up. "No. That will be too loud."

His ran both of his hands through his hair. "What?"

She smiled at him. "Relax, I'm wouldn't do that to you."

He looked confused at her. She took his hand pulled him up off of the shelf. "What are we doing?" He asked her quietly.

She put her finger to her lips and whispered. "We're being quiet. Get behind me."

He stood behind her and understood immediately as she bent over. "Do not make me shout."

He ran his hand through his hair as he slipped inside of her and began the familiar motions. Rose bit her lip as she held onto the shelf to keep from falling over. Her mind went blank, the only thing she could think is she how much she longed to kiss him.

She felt him pull out of her and he said, "Rose, come here."

She turned around and faced him. He held her face in his hands, "You can always just ask me to kiss you. I'll never tell you no."

She smiled at him as he held her tightly and snogged her. She ran her hands through his hair, sending it in every direction as he pressed her close to him. She raised her leg up and wrapped it around his upper thigh. "Can you get inside of me from here?"

He put himself back inside of her as he picked her up by her bum and rocked her on his staff. She held on tightly as she sucked his bottom lip and kissed him. He turned around and sat back down on the shelf, still inside of her. Sweat beaded up on his forehead. "Woman, what has gotten into you?"

Rose kissed him again, running her hands through his hair. When she stopped, he kept his eyes closed. Dazed, he said, "Umm... I'm not complaining. It's not that-"

She pulled his lips back to hers and snogged him again. When she stopped, he slowly opened his eyes to look at her in surprise.

"You need to get back. This was fun." She smiled at him.

He couldn't think. He didn't move from where he sat. He watched as she pulled back on her jeans. She picked up his pants and handed them to him.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Ummm…." He said as he stood up and slipped back on his pants, then pulled back on his trousers. After he had put himself back together, he ran his hands through his hair. He looked at her in shock the entire time.

She kissed his lips quickly. "I'll catch you up later."

She turned and typed in a code to open the door and leave. He sat back down on the shelf in disbelief as she walked down the hallway. He leaned back on the wall to collect his thoughts when Lewis popped his head in the door.

He laughed at him. "Why am I not surprised?"

He grabbed the front of Lewis' shirt and pulled in the cupboard with him. The door shut behind him. "Don't. Just. Me." He was clearly frustrated and couldn't form words.

Lewis looked him up and down as he smiled, "She's done a number on you, mate."

He growled as he hit his head on the wall. "Ugh. Don't. I need to be clear."

Lewis teased him, "Oh, it's pretty damn clear what's wrong here."

The Doctor rubbed his face with both of his hands. "Lewis. I couldn't even think for a moment. It was strange. Am I making sense now?"

Lewis looked surprised, "Holy shit, you mean to tell me something was really wrong?"

The Doctor dropped his head. "Idiot! Why would I pull you in the cupboard with me? You fancy a snog?"

Lewis held up his hand, "I'll pass thanks. Are you alright?"

The Doctor sat back and tried to catch his breath. "She. I don't know what she did. I saw her eyes flash as she left. She did something."

"Maybe she just did the nasty and you are looking too much into this. Rose wouldn't hurt you." Lewis told him.

"Something happened, Lewis. She was kissing me and my mind went blank like it normally does. But, then she just continued and it didn't stop. My thoughts didn't come back for a bit."

Lewis looked concerned. "Has this happened before?"

The Doctor leaned up and put his elbows on his knees. "No. This hasn't happened before."

"Do I need to go get her?"

"No. This will frighten her. She already is worried that the Bad Wolf is taking over more of her."

"Do you think it is?" Lewis asked him.

"I'm not sure." He admitted as he bit his lip. "She didn't seem completely herself just then."

"Maybe she was trying something. She knows she heals you when you both are sleeping. Maybe she thought about doing something and accidently did it while you were shagging." Lewis reasoned.

The Doctor sighed. "I think you're right. I'll have to ask her about it. Oh wow. I can think clearly again. Am I making sense?"

Lewis laughed, "I hope Arla and I are like this after we've been married for a while. You two are just getting worse."

"Five months of bed rest and not being able to touch your pregnant wife will do this. I really hope Arla has a better time of it than Rose did. Wow. She's sending me messages now. She's really looking forward to us getting a hotel tonight. Oh, wow. That's going to pull a muscle. I hope she's not serious."

Lewis laughed as he helped The Doctor up. "I'll try not to be envious. Come on. You need to go check on your patient."

"No. Lewis. Take me to the med bay. I want to scan my head just to make sure everything is alright. That was so odd."

Lewis smiled, "Sure, mate. Let's go."

Lewis opened the door to the cupboard just as Jack and Stark were walking by.

They stopped and looked at The Doctor and Lewis.

The Doctor pointed at them, "It's not what you think!"

Stark laughed at them.

Jack bit his lip. "Right. And what exactly is it?"

Lewis put his hands on his hips, "Two grown men having a private conversation."

Stark shook his head. "Yeah. That's what you're calling it then?"

The Doctor put his hand on Lewis' shoulder. "Come on Lewis. We're just digging ourselves a deeper hole with these two nutters."

Jack shouted at them as they walked away, "That's the goal. Get a deep hole!"

Stark laughed hysterically.

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	20. Chapter 20 - The Watch

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Chapter 20 - Watch Surgery

Lewis and The Doctor sat in at a desk in the large room of the med bay. The Doctor wore his glasses and had Lewis' watch spread out on the desk in several pieces.

Lewis spoke. "See, I haven't even thought about using the watch since we've been here. It's a good idea, though."

The Doctor moved the x-ray monitor over the watch and looked at the screen. He pressed a button, and was able to change the view and zoom into the watch's components. He rubbed his beard. "I see what he did here. Alright. This will do it. Yeah, I was thinking about it last night. I can change this over here to reorganize your pattern."

Lewis nodded his head. "Oh, I understand the theory. I could really pop into an area with a scrambler?"

The Doctor looked closer at the watch. "Yep! And let me tell you, mate. It will make me feel a lot better to know that you can."

"Oh, hell I agree. The very thought of you and Rose going to the surface sends me into a panic. Granted, I know you can handle most of anything, but still. It's not something I completely approve of."

"I'm not having Quauhtin in my hotel room-"

"Trust me, Quauhtin don't want to be in your hotel room. But, this is a happy medium. I can pop right to you, if you need my assistance. Or pop you or Rose out of danger, let's do it. Genius!"

The Doctor rubbed his beard as he looked at the watch, "Keep this to yourself that we're doing this. It would get us prosecuted."

Lewis chuckled. "That sounds about right. Are you going to alter your wristband?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't need to. My necklace uses different technology. These are just point and pops, whereas my necklace pushes you through the vortex. That's the reason it makes you sick when you use it."

Lewis nodded his head at the memory. "Oh, I've not forgotten that. I felt like I had been kicked in the eggs. But, it was my entire body."

The Doctor smiled as he leaned back, "Lewis, would you hand me the instruments in that top drawer over there on your left? They are in a small box."

Lewis rolled his chair over to fetch what the Doctor had requested. He handed him the box as Friday spoke. "Your scans have finished processing."

The Doctor stood up in front of a large screen, "Put it on the wall, Friday."

The entire wall turned into a screen and was filled up with a 3D rendering of his brain. He looked at it as he slipped his hands in his pockets.

Lewis looked at it, too. "And?"

"She didn't do anything. I could have sworn she did. Everything is like it's supposed to be." He felt something strange in his pocket and pulled it out. He looked up at Lewis as he realized it was Rose's knickers.

Lewis laughed at him standing there holding Rose's knickers. "One day, we'll laugh about this."

He put them back in his pocket and shook his head. He sat back down at the desk to return to working on the watch.

Lewis leaned back in the chair and put his hands on his head.

"Tired, Lewis?" The Doctor asked him.

"No. Telling Lance where we are. Clagl was asking."

The Doctor's attention was on the watch. "What did you tell them? We need to get our stories straight."

Lewis smiled, "I told them I cut my arm and you were taking care of it. I figure that will buy us some time."

The Doctor smiled as the door opened behind them. Lewis spoke, "Well. Arla and Rose!"

The Doctor turned to see them walk in the room. Rose was holding Sam in her arms. She had changed her clothes and was wearing a light pink dress. The Doctor smiled at them. "Ladies. What do we owe the pleasure?"

Rose smiled at him. "I was bringing you someone."

He smiled and sat down his instruments. "My Sam! Yes! Hand him to me. I've not seen him all day."

Rose handed him the small baby. He cradled him in his arms and kissed his forehead. Sam put his small hand in his own mouth.

Lewis laughed, "Well, at least he's sucking his own fingers. He always has mine."

"Or mine." The Doctor smiled as he looked down at Sam.

He looked up at Rose, who was looking at the brain scan on the screen. "Who is this? Did Lewis get hurt?"

Lewis shook his head. "No. That's an old scan. I cut my arm and the Doctor had to fix it for me."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yeah. It's nothing." He reached up and turned off the screen. "Don't worry about it."

She raised an eyebrow at them. "Really. There's nothing?"

The Doctor looked back at Lewis. "It's a sad day when a man's wife doesn't trust him. Come here, Rose. Kiss me and feel how sincere I am that there is nothing to worry about with that scan."

Rose looked at Arla then bent over and kissed him quickly. He kept his eyes closed and spoke to Lewis in his head.

 _'Okay. That was fine. What the hell?'_ He asked him.

 _'Well, it was just a quick kiss. Let me step outside with Arla and have her really snog you and see if it happens again.'_

The Doctor opened his eyes. Lewis stood up. "Let me have Sam. Excuse me, Rose, I'll be right back. I need to go check on something for the Doc'. Arla. Come with me."

Rose and the Doctor were left alone. He pulled the chair Lewis had been sitting in to the front of him. "Rose, have a seat."

She sat down. "How did Lewis cut his hand?"

"He honestly didn't. We were working on something else in here. I'll tell you about it later, I'm not sure if I can get it to work or not. He's just buying us some time." He told her as he took a deep breath and looked at her.

Rose looked at him. "Alright. I'll accept that." He looked at her longingly. "What?"

He smiled at her as he rubbed her thighs. "I'm looking forward to tonight. I love this dress. Or is it a long shirt?"

She smiled, "It's called a 'Shift Dress.' I got it yesterday when we were shopping with Jack. He picked it out for me."

He bit his lip as he ran his hands up her higher on her thighs, "Oh, I really like it."

She smiled with her tongue in her teeth, "Me, too. Are you going to the Track thing?"

He shook his head, leaned back and rubbed his face, "The Tractusequum. Oh, I don't know. I might have to for a bit. You might like it."

She giggled at him. "That's why I came in here. Jack wanted to take us down to the surface for a bachelorette party."

He laughed, "Oh, wow! Really?"

"Arla wasn't interested in that. So, I thought I'd have him take us to get some lingerie, instead." She smiled at him.

He rubbed his face. "Oh wow. Yes! That's a great idea! Get a lot of that. All different sorts. Whatever you want."

She laughed at his excitement, "I can feel that. I'll get something you will enjoy. I know what you like."

He gritted his teeth, "This bounty though…."

Rose held up her hand, "I knew you would worry about that. Jack is going and we're taking a Quauhtin. No one knows me or Arla here. You stay up here and I really think it will be alright. They are looking for you, not me. No one knows me here."

He nodded his head. "I still don't like it-"

"Listen. I'll be fine. I'll have Jack and one of these guys. This is what they are for. Protection. It's not like it is back home."

"That's true." He smiled at her as he leaned in. "Rose, may I kiss you? Please? But, a proper snog. Not just a quick….." He made a kissing noise.

"Why do you always ask? You know you can."

He took off his glasses and laid them on the desk. He took her hand and they both stood up.

She giggled, "My, you really mean business, huh? I have your complete attention."

"Complete and undivided attention. Now, kiss me woman." He told her as he gently held her around the waist and pressed her close to him. He met her lips and gave her a proper snog. She ran her hands through his hair, as she began to moan. He was determined to try to get it to happen again, so he gripped the back of the dress she wore tightly. She could feel his enthusiasm, and wrapped her arms around him to hold him as close as she could. He moved his hands to her breasts and stopped himself.

"Brakes. Good brakes." He mumbled as he ran both of his hands through his hair.

Rose was dazed. She stood in front of him, not opening her eyes. "Okay. What the hell just happened?"

He collapsed in the chair. "I could feel what you were feeling. I knew if I didn't stop, I would have lost control. Oh wow. What the hell is going on, for sure." He put both of his hands on his face as he tried to catch his breath.

Rose looked at him. "That doesn't explain this."

He shook his head as he looked her up and down. "No, it doesn't. Oh, man. I want you so badly right now."

Rose smiled at him. "This is normal for us-"

"Is it? The shag in the cupboard and then this? My only thought was laying you down on the floor there-"

"Or this desk." Rose told him. "Yeah, I could feel that."

He held out his hand. "Is this normal? Is something wrong?"

Rose could feel his concern. She walked over and he stood back up. She held him around the waist. "We are back in space. We've not been able to really be together for months. We shagged every time we could months ago. Every waking moment has been filled with worry or responsibilities we are still sorting out. You are happier than I've seen you in months. You love being out here. I love being with you. Sam is alright, and we realize it now. Everyone is safe. This is normal. Try to enjoy yourself. Relax."

He bit his lip. "Rose, I'm not sure if it is. I've never experienced anything like this. I mean, its extreme. More than it was when I first got here."

Rose pulled on his tie. "I seem to remember there was one day, where we were at a State Dinner at the White House. Someone, I remember, found an office for a quick shag. And that was the third time for that day. Maybe the fourth."

He smiled at the memory. "Oh yes. Maybe this is normal for us."

"How long is Lewis going to be gone? Do we have a few minutes?" She whispered to him.

He gritted his teeth. "Oh wow. I….errr…..we could probably go back in one of the rooms in the-" He covered his face with both of his hands. "Ugh!"

Rose laughed at him. "You've already been gone for too long. We'll take care of this, later."

He looked at her body and breathed out dramatically. "Please promise me we will. Oh wow."

Arla and Lewis walked back into the room. Rose kissed him quickly. "I know what you like. We'll be back later."

He watched her leave with a look of surprise on his face.

Lewis waved as he held Sam in his arm, "Have a great time, ladies. See you shortly."

He turned to the Doctor. "Tell me. How would you say 'Rose' in the original language of the universe?"

The Doctor looked back at him surprised. "It's a noun. Depends on how it was being used. Why?"

"Oh, I thought she'd scrambled your head again. I was testing you." Lewis teased.

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	21. Chapter 21 - Surgery

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Chapter 21 - Surgery

Princess Ashena sat in a chair in the med bay of the ship. Her mother sat behind her in another chair. She smiled proudly at her daughter. "I'm so happy she's feeling well enough to sit in a chair. This hasn't happened for days."

The Doctor smiled at them as he looked over a tablet he held. "She's probably been a bit too dizzy to be able to stand for any length of time. The infection seemed to have originated in her ears."

Princess Ashena added, "Yes. And that's how you balance your body. The liquid in your ears. If it had been a bit lower, I might have hearing loss."

The Doctor looked surprised at her. "That's right. How do you know that?"

She smiled, "I had thought about studying to be a doctor. Medicine is fascinating to me."

The Doctor smiled as he looked back to see Lewis walk into the door. "Legate is mad man. He's calling me Chewie. Where did he get that?"

The Doctor laughed, "It's from Star Wars. Haven't you seen that?"

Lewis looked confused. "No. What is that? A movie?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "How are we friends, Lewis?"

Lewis put his hands on his hips, "Ugh… whatever."

The Doctor looked up at Ashena. "See, he's growling at me."

Ashena laughed. "He looks just like Licio, but his voice is different."

Lewis smiled at her. "I'm a better singer. Don't ask my brother to sing anything."

"When is Luce getting here?" The Doctor asked.

Lewis tossed his hand up. "Ah, he's been delayed. I'm not completely certain. I do know he's on his way. Chewie? Is that a good guy, or should I be insulted?"

The Doctor shook his head and laughed. "Oh, geez. Okay. Queen Oen, I'd like to reroute some of these thought patterns in your daughters' head. I'll have to do it in several stages."

The Queen nodded, "I see."

The Princess asked him, "Then I can get rid of this metal band on my head?"

"Not quite yet. We'll take it off when I'm in your mind, but you'll need to wear it for a few more days."

Just then, Legate yelled from the doorway. "Doctor! Need some help here!"

The Doctor and Lewis sprang up and ran to the doorway to see Logan carrying someone in his arms. Logan had blood on his shirt and seemed to be trying his best to keep whoever he carried calm. "Shhhh….. we're here. He's here." he said.

The Doctor's heart sank when he heard Tony Tyler crying hysterically in Logan's arms.

Lewis got to them first, "What happened?"

Logan brought Tony over to the bed in the corner of the large room and gently lay him down. The Doctor quickly put his hand on Tony's head as he looked him up and down. "Tony. I'm here. Try to calm down. I'll keep it from hurting." He took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the boy.

Tony's screams had woken up Sam. He was lying in a cot underneath the screens he liked to look at. Queen Oen walked over and picked him up to comfort him. "Now, now, little one." Princess Ashena joined her mother.

Legate shook his head, "I'm sure his leg is broken. It was rolled up under him. I've never seen anything like it. Logan made a splint to keep it from moving before we brought him up here."

Tony continued to cry. The Doctor hadn't moved his hand from Tony's forehead. He put his finger on his lips and told Tony, "Shhh…"

Tony stopped crying and looked frightened.

The Doctor smiled at him. "Tony. You're going to be alright. You've broken your leg."

Tony whimpered as he wiped his face and cried. "John. It hurts."

It broke his heart to see Tony in such pain. He kept his hand on Tony's head. "I'm blocking the pain. It shouldn't hurt. It will be alright."

Tony stopped crying and nodded his head. The Doctor kept his hand on Tony's forehead as Legate cut Tony's jeans off to reveal the source of the bleeding. His bone had broken and had come through his leg right beneath the knee. It was clearly visible and started to bleed again as soon as it was uncovered. Logan's splint seemed to be the only thing keeping Tony's leg together.

Logan took off his t-shirt, rolled it up put on the open wound. "Damn. I'm glad your father was there, Legate."

Legate nodded and looked at The Doctor. "My father stopped the bleeding before he would allow us to move him."

The Doctor looked Tony over, still with his hand on his head. "He's lost a lot of blood."

Legate agreed, "Yes. It's all on the floor upstairs."

Suddenly, he remembered. "Where is Jacob and Genie?" The Doctor asked.

Logan shook his head. "They hadn't made it down to the hanger yet. As soon as he fell, I had Timon take them back upstairs. They don't know anything is wrong."

Tony put his hand on top of The Doctor's hand, which was still on his forehead. "John. Please don't cut off my leg."

The Doctor smiled at him. "My little brother, I would never do that. You're going to be fine. I'm going to have to put you to sleep though, so I can get you sorted."

"Will you be there when I wake up?" Tony whimpered.

"I won't leave your side."

Tony nodded, as the Doctor leaned down and kissed his forehead. "Comrade, you are very brave. You are going to be fine." He told him as he pushed him into a deep sleep.

He ran his hands through his hair. "Alright. Looks like we're going to have surgery here on my little brother. I need some help. Lewis?"

Lewis nodded his head. "I'm here."

"Legate and Logan. Go get cleaned up and take Genie and Jacob for their space ride. Tell them Tony is with me. They won't question that too much."

Legate nodded his head. "Right."

Logan didn't take his hand off of Tony's leg where he was holding his shirt on the wound. "I can help you if you need me."

The Doctor asked, "Sure?"

"It's not going to get much worse than this, is it?" Logan asked him.

"Well, that's a good point. Thanks, Logan. Princess! You are interested in medicine. Want to watch?" He called back.

Princess Ashena stood up. "Certainly. I'd be happy to."

The Queen had managed to get Sam to stop crying. "I'd be happy to hold your son while you help this child."

He smiled. "Thank you."

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The Doctor had taken Tony back into a room in the back of the med bay. Lewis, Logan and Ashena had all put on a white, long gown to cover their clothes.

The x-rays showed that Tony Tyler had managed to break his tibia in three places, and his fibula in four. One of the bones had been pushed through his leg, and managed to damage an artery.

The Doctor looked at the x-rays and shook his head. "Damn. What the hell did he fall off of?"

Logan spoke. "He had climbed up the ladder next to Legate's ship. He's done it a million times to walk on the gangway up there. He was going up the ladder, and just fell. He scared the hell out of us."

The Doctor shook his head. "This guy is clumsy. I think it's because he's grown so much lately and is trying to get used to this extra length of his arms and legs."

Lewis looked concerned. "You can just grow his bones back in his leg, can't you?"

The Doctor nodded. "Sure. But, these ligaments will need to be reattached and time to heal. Tony is going to be in pain for a few days. Wow. He did a hell of a job on this leg."

They watched in silence as he cut Tony's leg open and used his device to reattach the bones. Logan looked at Tony's sleeping face. The Doctor had attached a small metal device on Tony's head. Lights on the device blinked blue, then green.

The Doctor saw what Logan was looking at. "Logan, if the lights stop blinking, let me know. That is keeping him asleep and managing his pain while I put him back together. Princess, if you need to sit down, please do."

She pushed a stool over to him, "Here, you would be more comfortable seated."

He looked surprised back at her. "Well, thank you." He sat down and pressed a button on the side of the table Tony lay on. It moved down to be closer to him.

The Doctor groaned as he worked. "Oh, Tony. Geez. What were you doing, man?"

The Princess looked at Logan, "He just fell?"

Logan nodded his head, "Yeah. We heard him shout and rushed to him. He was lying on the ground, facing forward. His leg was curled up under him."

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Friday, check the x-rays and see if he did any damage to his wrists."

Friday spoke. "The right wrist shows a small fracture."

The Doctor shook his head as he continued to work. "Geez, this guy. He just broke that wrist six months ago. Well, that's an easy fix."

The Princess took another stool and sat beside of him. She looked at Tony's face. "He is your brother?"

The Doctor smiled, "He's my wife's brother. But, he asked if I would be his brother before we were even married. He is my Comrade."

Lewis rolled his eyes. "I've never understood why you call him that."

"Well, that's simple. He keeps me out of trouble with these Tyler women. It seems like whenever I'm millimeters from trouble with one of them, Tony suggests something to redirect their annoyance. He's saved me from a slap many times. And Jackie Tyler has a very mean slap."

The Princess smiled as she looked back at Tony. "I love these little dots on his face. Has he been ….. umm… tattooed?"

The Doctor chuckled, "No, those are freckles. They are common with people of this species, particularly people who are ginger. Like he is."

The Princess nodded. "Oh, I see. Is there much difference between people from Earth and Andromedaens?"

The Doctor didn't look up from his work. "No. Just external differences. Like hair color, eye colors, that sort of thing."

Lewis spoke. "Have you told Rose this has happened?"

"I told her Tony got hurt and I was taking care of him. That's all I've said. She's out with Arla and Jack. I'd rather not wind her up. She can tell I'm wound up, but I'm shielding her as much as I can. She keeps telling me to calm down. I'll call Pete as soon as I'm finished. Talk about something else. I need to get my mind off of this. Ashena. May call you, Ashena?"

She smiled at him. "Of course."

"You thought about becoming a doctor. What sort of doctor have you thought about?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Just a general doctor. Not really specialized in anything, but everything."

He smiled as he continued to work. "I'll warn you, it's a lot like the life of the Quauhtin, you're never truly off duty."

Lewis nodded his head. "Man, that's the truth."

She smiled, "That's what Licio says."

""Tell me. What does the King think about you becoming a doctor?" he asked.

"My father is very supportive of it. He says that both peace and war need rulers and healers. One with experience in both is extremely beneficial to the other. Like two sides of the same coin." She told him.

He nodded his head. "Interesting thought. I'd have to say I agree."

She asked, "Do you do surgery often?"

"I haven't done surgery in many years. But this month has been odd and this is my second surgery, no third. First, was Tony's heart transplant, then I had to remove a bone in my hand, and now this."

She looked surprised, "Your young brother has a new heart?"

"No. My friend Tony Stark does. Where is he? Was he in the hanger when Tony fell?"

Lewis held his finger up as he listened to something. "He went back down to the surface with Rose. Huh. I didn't realize he went with them."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Okay. Stark and Jack went with the girls. Who else?"

"Gobbo and Timon are with them." Lewis told him. "They are fine."

The Doctor went back to his work. "Ugh! Now, Rose is telling me to calm down again."

Logan looked confused, "How can she speak to you?"

Lewis explained, "They are both telepathic and have joined themselves through a marriage bond. It's an ancient practice. I've honestly never known anyone to do it."

The Doctor looked surprised at Lewis. "Quauhtin are telepathic."

"Only within their unit, or those who the leader approves of. Like yourself." Lewis said.

The Doctor sat back as he realized. "Arla's not telepathic. I've not thought of that. You won't be able to join with her like that."

"I wouldn't anyway. Quauhtin live for so much longer than humans do."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Right. I knew that."

Logan spoke. "Hell, I didn't. Interesting. How old are you, Lewis?"

Lewis looked back at Logan and smiled. "218, currently. You?"

Logan smiled, "18. You Doc'?"

"I usually say I'm 918. Let's just go with that for now." He told him as he continued to put all of his attention to Tony's leg.

Logan looked at the Princess, "And you are 17, right?"

She smiled, "The only one of us who doesn't have an 18 attached to their age. Well, except for this young man."

Logan chuckled at her. Lewis raised his eyebrow at them.

Then Logan asked the Doctor, "I always thought you had to wear a mask when you did surgery."

"Nah. I don't wear helmets when I fly in spaceships either. I don't see the point." He looked back at Ashena. "Tell me, what did you think of Star Wars? Did Logan and Legate do a good job of telling the story?"

She smiled. "They did. I'm anxious to see the other ones. I am curious though. About something you said."

"Yeah. What's that?"

"You said Earth was divided into different parts. But, one did speak for them as a whole. That's unusual." She asked.

Logan looked at him. "I wondered that, too. I'm not aware of that."

The Doctor smiled, "You wouldn't be. It's classified above top secret, but I suppose you should know as part of your training. Pete or I speak for Earth in the event it is needed, usually to an alien species. I negotiated a deal with the Baumeisters from the planet Tragypt a few months ago to build a space dock on the moon. I had to go to the United Nations to ask permission and someone asked me the same thing. I had to remind a few of them of this fact."

Ashena asked him. "So, to be clear. If my father needed to seek council over an issue he had with Earth, he just needs to speak to you?"

"Yep. Or Pete. He's my wife's father. Either one of us can, why? Something we need to chat about?" He asked her.

She smiled and shook her head. "No. I was just trying to understand. Wow. Are you the Princeps of Earth, too?"

"No. Just of Plentitude." He told her. He looked up at Logan and Lewis' surprised faces.

He shook his head. "That's another story, boys."

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	22. Chapter 22 – Clagl's Offer

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Chapter 22 – Clagl's Offer

Rose was nearly in a panic as she walked into the med bay. She found Lewis sitting at the large desk watching a football game on the large screen that covered the entire wall. He looked up and smiled, "Oh, hey there Rose! Just back from shopping?"

"Where is he?" Rose asked him.

Noting that she was angry, he hesitated. "Ugh. I just brought him some clothes. He's changing. You might want to give him a bit."

Rose bit her lip, "Nevermind. I'll find him."

Lewis reached out in his head to tell the Doctor. _'Incoming.'_

Rose walked down the hallway of the med unit. The hallway was full of dark rooms, but one room had a light dimmed with the door open. She walked into the room to find Tony sleeping peacefully in the bed. He still had the metal device on his head. It blinked blue.

The Doctor sat in a chair on the other side of the bed, playing with Sam. He had Sam's foot in his mouth and was gently biting it. "You have tiny toes like your mum. I'll teach you to kick a football. You need to use this bit of your foot, Sam." He bit the side of the foot he was talking about.

Rose could feel Sam's playful mood. The Doctor looked up at the screen in the room that was playing the same football game that Lewis was watching on the large screen out front. He sat Sam in the bend of his arm so he could see the telly. "See, this is what's happening here. He gets to try to kick it in from the corner. Sometimes they will score this way. Although, this team isn't very good at that."

Rose's anger melted away as she stood there and watched him with Sam. She noticed he had on a black t-shirt and a pair of jeans. He groaned as he told Sam. "Lewis wants to go $100 a goal. What do you think about that?"

Sam coo'ed. The Doctor chuckled. "Yeah, I've got it. You want me to spot you, too? Alright."

Rose spoke. "Are you in here teaching our son to bet on football game?"

He looked over at the doorway and smiled, "I'm so glad you are here. It's been a hell of a day."

Rose walked in and looked at Tony. "Sounds that way. I had intended to come in here and punch you. You just said he was hurt, you didn't tell me how bad."

He pointed at her. "In my defense, I was in the middle of making him better. He was bleeding like mad. I had to put back together his leg from the knee down. He's going to be a very sore little boy for a few days. He gave us all quite the fright."

Rose ran her hand through Tony's hair. "He's in a deep sleep. Medicine?"

He shook his head. "Yeah. That device on his head is managing his pain and keeping him sleeping for a while longer. Well, that and I pushed him into a deep sleep."

Rose looked down and noticed Tony's leg was floating. She pointed at it.

The Doctor watched her as he rested his chin on his fist. "Zero gravity mattress. I used the same thing with you after the explosion."

"You changed your clothes." She mentioned.

He nodded his head. "He tore an artery I had to repair. My suit is covered in blood. I tossed it in the ship's laundry. I doubt the blood will come out. Logan surprised the hell out of me, though. He's a good guy to have in a crisis. He kept his head about him, even with blood shooting across the room when we took him to surgery. I am impressed with that man."

Rose smiled. "Man. Wow."

He looked down and Sam. "Tony will love this game."

Sam coo'ed.

"No, I'm saving it for him. He'll be able to watch it later. Don't worry."

He picked up Sam and brought him to his mouth to blow air bubbles on his stomach. Sam let out a playful squeal louder than Rose had ever heard him do. It made her smile as she watched the Doctor look down at him and laugh. "No, I should do it again!"

He brought him back up to his mouth and blew bubbles on his stomach again. Sam playfully squealed again. He laughed proudly at him. "I bet you will start to laugh in a few weeks. I can already see you smiling."

Rose giggled at him. She walked over, picked up Sam, and cradled him in her arms. "Let Mum save you from this mad man, Sam."

The Doctor ran his hand up the bottom of her dress and rubbed her bum. She smiled as she sat down on his lap and he wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so glad you are back. I can't even tell you my relief." He told her. "I had intended to come down and spy on you, but Lewis insisted I stay here. Then, I got busy with everything."

Rose kissed him. "I know you will love what I got. And now, it's a surprise."

He smiled as he tucked her hair behind her ear. "You are so precious to me."

Rose smiled at him. "I think I was just wound up. I can't believe I had intentions of punching you when I came in here."

He sighed as he looked at her. "I understand. I really tried to keep this shielded, but it was just too much."

Rose held his hand. "Are you alright? You seem…I can't even tell. Guarded."

"Rose, he was terrified. It wound me up to see him like that. I might have pushed him further than I meant to."

Rose kissed him. He ran his hand back up her dress and rubbed her bum and hip. His touch made her skin tingle. She could feel his worry began to be unmasked. His calming panic as he relaxed and let his guard back down. She whispered. "He's alright. It's all over."

He smiled at her and said quietly, "And you are back. Safe in my arms. Did you have a nice time?"

She smiled, "That's really why you haven't been able to calm down from this. Me being on the surface had you worried."

He rubbed his face. "I can't help it. It's my job to worry. I think this family is going to give me grey hair if we have many more days like this one."

Rose smiled at him. "You'll be alright. What did Dad say? I'm sure you've spoken to him about Tony."

He thought for a moment, "Pete and I had a very good conversation. He's been trying to catch up with me for days. That Idles thing was a bit more involved than he initially told me. I knew it had to be. Summus has moved him and Jackie into our flat in London. That was my first clue."

She looked surprised, "Really? He hadn't said anything about that."

"Summus hadn't even said anything about it. I had to ask him. They are increasing the security at the mansion. A different fence and bigger gate. I don't know completely, but it sounded involved. Aemilius is overseeing everything there. With Summus injured, it only left Adriano and Bassanio to guard Pete and Jackie. They knew we wouldn't mind. The security guys are all over the mansion and property. Jackie has been reorganizing our cupboards." He chuckled. "I'll never be able to find anything again."

Rose smiled, "I hope she doesn't find _that_ cupboard."

"You mean the one in the bedroom? Nah. I put all of that in a box and it's in the suitcase. I don't want to have to explain to my mother in law about all of that….lube. Why did Jack give us all of that?"

Rose smiled, "He bought some stuff and just ordered double. I think he was trying to pick on you a bit and make you blush. Have you even looked to see what all is in there? We've had it for months."

He smiled, "Not really, I knew we couldn't use it and didn't want to torment myself. I did appreciate everything was still sealed."

She smiled at him with her tongue in her teeth, "You should let me try some of it on you. Some of the gels will cause your skin to get really cold. Others just make certain parts taste different."

"Yeah, like candy. I'm familiar with this. The sorts they have during this time seem to taste….chemically. Do they have the sort that smokes yet?"

"Smokes? Really?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, and the chocolate that you pour on your partner and it hardens? It makes like a thin shell." He asked her seriously.

Rose looked surprised at him.

"Oh! And the sort of rope you can eat that tastes like cherry, but is really light like marshmallow fluff? All twisted together? Oh, that's my favorite."

She continued to look surprised at him.

"What?" He asked.

"What sort of freaky shit have you been doing?" Rose laughed at him.

He blushed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Nevermind. Shouldn't have mentioned it. Ugh!"

Rose laughed as she looked down at Sam, "Oh, that conversation is not over. What else did Dad say?"

"Turns out, Idles men didn't just plan to assassinate Howie and Caroline, they almost did. They got back into the White House, and were looking for Jacob when they were spotted. Luckily, he was with us or they would have gotten him I'm certain. Howie made the call at that point. Pete knew about it before we even left. He knew he had planned to send the CIA in and kill Idles, he agreed with him, but knew I wouldn't."

"But you do." Rose said, then smiled down at Sam.

He rubbed his hand under her dress, and nodded his head. "I do. This explosion last night at the Expo shows the threat is still there-"

"Or just some nutter claiming it's them."

"Yeah. Well, either way… Lewis and Summus are putting their epic strategic minds to work on it. Do you think Summus is grooming Lewis to take over the Quauhtin?"

"It would make sense. He's mentioned going back to wherever they are from-"

"He has? He's not said anything to me about it." He told her surprised. He looked at Sam. "How about you, son? Summus told you anything about this?"

Sam sucked his fingers as he looked at him.

"Well, you're no help." The Doctor told him.

Rose looked back at her brother. "Did this take up your entire day?"

"Nah. I managed to start storing out the Princess' thoughts this afternoon. It helped us both wind down after this. She helped me with the surgery. Did you know she had thought about being a doctor?"

"I've not even met this Princess. I've only met her father."

He continued to rub her bum. "Huh. I think you two will get along. She's very clever."

Rose smiled at him, "I love that you can't keep your hands to yourself. I can tell this is calming your nerves."

"I'm so glad you are here. I won't lie to you, this was hard to deal with. I'm supposed to keep him from getting hurt. Rose, he really could have…" he gritted his teeth.

She kissed his forehead. "He's going to get hurt. It's part of life."

He brought his finger up to his mouth to rub against his lip. "Doesn't make it any easier."

Sensing she needed to change the subject, Rose said, "There was something Licio asked me today that I found shocking."

He smiled, "Oh the gods! I wonder."

She smiled, "He said that Genie would be a beautiful woman and wanted to know if you had promised her to someone yet."

He closed his eyes tightly and smiled. "Princess Ashena asked me the same thing today. Then again after she met Genie. She agrees that she's remarkable. But, we already knew that."

"That just sounds strange to me. I was worried it would make you angry. A man looking at your daughter like that."

He rubbed his beard as he thought. "I can see where you would say that, but honestly, I have given it some thought. Rose, Genie will be a woman one day. One day soon. They are only children for a few years. It's something a lot of families think about."

"You said you thought she married Logan-"

"I'm not completely certain of that. I might have been dreaming. Sometimes that's hard to tell. He's off eating ice cream with the Princess at the moment anyway. Legate is keeping an eye on them. That's my latest worry. Ugh."

Rose smiled, "So, would you really do that? Promise your daughter to someone?"

"Rose, that's just the way things are done in some places. It's not a wrong thing, it's just different. Some places that is just the norm. Like, between royal families and such. It's very common. Marrying for love is something from stories. Not something people actually do. This with us, is odd."

Rose smiled at down at Sam, "We're like a story. How about that, Sam?"

The Doctor chuckled, "He has missed you today. He says he likes your hair down like that."

Rose looked at him in surprise. "That's it, isn't it? You were in an arranged marriage before. Not one based on love. That's the reason you-"

He looked at Sam. "Do you see how she figures this stuff out, Sam? Take notes. It's like living with someone from MI-6. Geez."

Rose looked at him seriously. "That's it, isn't it?"

"That's what?" He asked her.

She grabbed the t-shirt he wore and playfully pulled it.

He fussed at her. "Hey! I'll have to go back and see the White Stripes again if you mess up my shirt, woman."

She sighed, "Let me guess, you don't want to talk about it."

He rubbed his face. "Ugh-"

A deep male voice knocked on the door. "Excuse me, Doctor Smith."

King Clagl walked into the room with Lewis and Licio. He waved his hand, "Please. Don't get up. Don't let me disturb you."

The Doctor pulled his hand back from under Rose's dress and cleared his throat. Lewis pointed at him from behind the King's back and smiled. Clagl didn't notice as walked over to Tony's hospital bed and looked at him. He asked the Doctor. "He will be alright?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "After a few days, he will be jumping off of gang planks again to make my heart stop."

Clagl laughed quietly. "My son is the same way. It is said the bravery of a man can be determined from an early age. This young man will be a warrior."

"I worry you will be right, Clagl. Tony is like his mum. Jackie Tyler can be a warrior, too."

Rose looked at him and rolled her eyes. He winked at her.

Clagl smiled at the Doctor as he noticed he held both Rose and Sam in his lap. "My Ashena seems to be doing so much better. I've come to talk to you about her."

He smiled, "She's doing just fine. I see no reason that she won't make a complete recovery."

Clagl nodded his head. "Indeed. I've been watching you, Doctor Smith. You are a busy man. I know you work at something as important as the Princeps back on Earth, and you also are only one of two men who can speak for the planet. I've also met your family, and have found them to be absolutely delightful. According to Licio, your Genie speaks very proudly of the man she calls, 'Daddy', and the attention you have given to this youth has been remarkable."

The Doctor looked at Tony. "This is my little brother. He was frightened when I put him to sleep for his surgery. I've promised him I'll be here when he wakes up."

Clagl smiled, "Exactly the man I think you are. Honorable. Intelligent. Respected. Worthy of a princess."

The Doctor raised his eyebrow. "What are you getting at, Clagl?"

"My Ashena will be of age in a few months. I would like to offer her to you, as a bride." Clagl said.

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	23. Chapter 23 - The Fight

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Chapter 23 - The Fight

He looked back at Rose and whispered, "Oh wow."

Rose bit her lip as she looked at him. _'Wasn't expecting that, huh?'_

 _'Not at all. Wow.'_ He told her in her head.

He patted her leg and they both stood up. "Oh wow, umm. Clagl. I'm honored. However, I already have a wife. It's the custom to only have one for her people. Well, and mine."

Clagl nodded his head. "I see. Sure I can't convince you?"

"I'm sorry. It's a simple thing. I simply can't." he told him.

Clagl nodded his head again. "How much in love are you two, really? Do you foresee a time when you might want another wife?"

Lewis stood behind Clagl and was biting his lip to keep from laughing at the look on the Doctor and Rose's faces. The Doctor shook his head. "Rose and I have a marriage bond. There will never be a time when we are without the other one. She's the only one I will ever have, and I'm the only one she will ever have."

The King threw his hands up, "Oh well. I had to ask. I accept your answer, and your reasons. I thank you for your honesty. Will you join us for the Tractusequum tonight?"

The Doctor looked back at Tony, "I'm very sorry. I'd love to go, but I've promised him that I'll be here."

Clagl smiled. "A promise to a frightened boy is always more important. You will be missed tonight. May I escort your bride?"

He turned back and asked Rose. "Do you want to go?"

Rose smiled at him. "I would love to, but I'm certain this is going to be difficult for Genie. She's going to need her mum to reassure her that he's really going to be alright. She's already lost so much."

The Doctor dropped his head. "I've not thought of that. You're right. This is going to set her back quite a bit."

The King bowed to them. "I'll take my leave of you. Please, encourage your crew to come to my private box! It will be a great match."

He walked out of the door with Licio. Lewis walked over to them. "Okay, I did not know he was going to do that. Wow. Need some oxygen?"

The Doctor pointed at Lewis. "That is a great idea!"

Rose smacked him across the chest.

"Another time." He told him.

Lewis laughed, "I had planned to go and take Arla, if you don't need me."

The Doctor nodded his head. "That's fine. Go have a good time. In fact, Rose. I'm going to be here all night. I'm sorry, but we will have to go to the surface another time together."

Rose smiled at him. "Don't apologize. This is important. I'm not cross."

He smiled at her and he looked back at Lewis. "You and Arla take our hotel suite for the night. I've got it for the entire week and had planned to offer to you anyway on your wedding night. It's the 'Locus in Nubibus'. I've had it reserved for weeks."

Lewis looked shocked. "Holy shit! Really? You don't do anything small, do you?"

Rose looked confused. "What is it?"

Lewis smiled at Rose. "Locus in Nubibus is a hotel that is extremely tall. All of best suites are miles above the surface in the clouds. The entire floor is windows, so it appears as if you are inside of a cloud while you are there. It's the reason a lot of people come to Plentitude. Wow. Thank you, Doc!"

Rose turned to him and looked impressed. He smiled at her. "We'll get there sometime this week. I just can't leave tonight. I'm not sure about tomorrow either. But, we'll get there, Rose."

Rose smiled at him. "I imagine we will be returning to Plentitude often, Chief. It's not a Shakespearean tragedy if we don't make it this trip."

He nodded his head and smiled. "Well, that's true."

Rose asked, "Where are Genie and Jacob?"

Lewis shook his head. "Legate has the children. They are playing together in the zero gravity room. Genie is asking to see you, so he will bring her down later. What do you want us to tell her?"

Rose threw up her hands. "How about the truth!? Geez! Someone deserves a straight answer around here."

Lewis nodded his head. "Well, alright."

The Doctor pointed at him, "But don't frighten her. Rose, maybe one of us should explain this to her. It will have to be done delicately."

Rose looked at Lewis. "I agree. I'll go up in a bit and explain it to her."

Lewis turned around and walked out of the door.

The Doctor took Sam back and looked at Rose. "Alright. What is it? You're yelling at Lewis?"

Rose rubbed her face. "Ugh. It's just I'm sick of this. You not telling me stuff, me not telling you stuff, Dad not telling us stuff-"

"Well, let's start there. What are you not telling me?" He asked her.

"No, you! You thinking about promising Genie to someone-"

He shook his head. "I don't want to do that. I want her to marry for love. Now, that I have that, I want her to have it. I'm not going to promise her to anyone. What do you think?"

Rose sat down in the chair. "Okay, I agree. But I still haven't finished this conversation with you from earlier. I feel like I'm losing my mind again."

He looked surprised at her. "Are you still taking those injections?"

She held her face in her hands. "No-"

"No! Woman! That explains this! You are sick, you need to take those! Do you-"

"Oh, don't shout at me about this. I felt fine-"

"You were miserable! You took them just long enough to start feeling better and then stopped. That's not going to help you at all."

Rose shook her head. "This is just shit. I can heal you from whatever, but can't seem to heal myself of this. Why is that?"

He lay Sam down in his cot that sat on the floor. He knelt down in front of Rose and held her hands. "I don't know. This is as new to me as it is to you. We'll get it sorted together. But, I really want you to take that medicine. It was helping you so much."

Rose shook her head. "I'm surprised you have just found out about this. I thought I sensed it today, in the cupboard."

He shook his head, "I didn't sense anything. I was just surprised. That was the third time in less than two hours!"

Rose blushed and smiled at him. "You liked it-"

He smiled, "Oh, you bet I did! But, something odd happened in the cupboard. Were you trying to shield or block something? Besides you not taking those injections?"

Rose sighed, "No." She rolled her eyes and sighed.

He thought as he kissed her hands. He could tell it was not the time to bring up his suspicions. "I know what we need right now." He took Rose's hand, and had her stand up.

She shook her head, "I'm sorry, I'm still a bit annoyed."

He smiled as they wrapped their arms around one another. "I know. That's alright."

"I feel like I shouldn't be, though. I see your point with this. I feel like I'm being a grouch. Am I?"

He shook his head and smiled. "No. I'm being unreasonable."

"Well, can you stop? It's making me cross." Rose asked him.

"I make no promises." He smiled as he kissed her quickly. "Friday, play that song Howie says he loves."

Friday spoke, "Certainly, Captain Solo."

'Tennessee Whiskey' by Chris Stapleton started playing as he started to dance with Rose.

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "I know this song. It's one of Howie's favorite. He plays it all of the time."

He laughed at her. "Oh, it's one of mine, too. I've not heard it in ages."

"Is Howie alright? I know you have spoken to him if you are listening to this."

He smiled. "I'm that predictable, huh? Yes, he's fine. He misses Jacob and I'm still his 'Ace High Wheel Horse.' Whatever the hell that is."

Rose giggled, "I don't like this kind of music, but I like this song. It sounds like you. With your drinking, lately."

He smiled as he sung quietly to her. "You're as smooth as Tennessee whiskey. You're as sweet as strawberry wine. You're as warm as a glass of brandy. And honey, I stay stoned on your love all the time."

His singing caused her to laugh as they danced, "How much of the Damn Whiskey have you had tonight?"

"Not one drop. And I am very surprised at that fact. Especially after this."

She held him close as they danced. "I never remember you being like this when we traveled together. You just took a deep breath and carried on. No matter what happened, nothing seemed to bother you."

He smiled, "There was so much you never saw. So much I never showed you then, what you see so clearly now."

She whispered, "Tony is really alright, right? He looks so hurt. He's so pale."

The Doctor looked at him, "He looks better than he did. He'll be fine. I won't leave him. I promise. Sam and I are busy previewing all of the football he'll watch later." He leaned in and whispered to her, "You know, making sure no players swear at one another. He hates that."

She laughed at him. "And teaching Sam all about football. It's endearing to see you like this."

He smiled, "Endearing. Yes. That's one I've not been called. I like that."

Rose giggled at him, then became serious as they continued dancing. "I'm one to talk about keeping things from you. There's something else I've wanted to talk to you about, but I didn't know how to say it."

He held her tighter, "Go on. You're safe with me. You can tell me anything."

She smiled, "It's not like that. It's a simple thing. And I don't want to hear your…..ugh, I don't even know what to call it."

He leaned back and looked curiously at her. "Alright. What is it?"

She took a deep breath. "I've written a book. About my theory on transdimensional physics. It's basically my paper that I wrote with some other stuff people have asked me about when I was doing those tours."

He leaned back and smiled proudly at her. "Really? When do you do that?"

"I've had to lie in the bed for months. I had a tablet, and Michelle suggested it to keep me occupied. I worked on it while you were off dealing with stuff."

"I need to give that woman a raise. What a swell idea." He looked surprised.

"I think I'm ready for you to look at it because I know you'll drive me mad to see it."

He chuckled at her. "Alright. I'm excited to see it."

"And I'm serious. I don't want to hear how big of an idiot I am after you read this-"

"You're not an idiot. You are brilliant. I can't wait to read it. I'll read it to the boys tonight. They might learn something."

XxxXxXxxxxxxXXXXXxxxx

The Tractusequum was a highly anticipated event for the planet of Plentitude. The stadium was extremely crowded with species of all sorts and sizes. Lewis held onto Arla's hand as he walked with Lance, Jack, Legate, and Poltoius down the hallways to the King's private viewing box.

Poltoius smiled as he put his hand on Legate's shoulder. "How many years have we wanted to come see this, my son?"

Legate smiled back at this father. "Oh, I can't even count them."

Lance smiled at them. "I'm surprised we ended up being here the same time as this. Stark didn't want to come?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah. Logan was busy, too."

Legate nodded his head. "Yeah, we all know what he was busy with. She has long eyelashes and long, white hair."

Lewis shook his head. "Oh, don't be stupid. Logan wouldn't do anything."

Arla pointed at them, "It's not always the man that you need to be worried about."

Jack laughed, "That's very true. Lucky kid!"

Lewis shook his head. "I'll kill him. He better not mess this up with Clagl and the Doc. The King offered the Princess to the Doctor."

Legate looked curious, "Why?"

Jack looked back at him. "As his bride! Right? Oh, fucking hell! What did he say? What did Rose say?"

Lewis smiled, "What do you think? They handled it honorability. No one's feelings got hurt."

Jack rolled his eyes. "I don't just worry about feelings when it comes to Rose."

Lance nodded his head. "Indeed."

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxx

Rose spoke in the Doctor's head. He turned off the telly and met her in the doorway of the medical room that Tony was in. He knelt down as Genie and Jacob ran up to him.

"Mum told us that Tony broke his leg." She told him.

He nodded his head as he took both of their hands in his. "He did. I had to put the bones back together. He's sleeping now."

Jacob looked at him curiously. "But, he just broke his leg. Why does he have to stay down here tonight? We had planned to watch another Star Wars with the Princess."

The Doctor looked at Rose, then at the children. "The truth is, Tony broke his leg and I had to do a small surgery to put it all back together again. But, he's fine."

He closely watched Genie. She looked in the doorway of the room. "He's in there, isn't he?"

"He is. I'm staying down here with him tonight. He's going to be sore for a few days, but he will be jumping around and playing before we get back home. He will be fine."

Genie asked, "Can we see him, Daddy?"

Rose remembered how pale Tony looked. "How about we let him sleep tonight? He might need visitors tomorrow and you can come see him when he is awake. How does that sound?"

The Doctor smiled at Rose. "Your mum is clever. That sounds like a great idea to me. Now, tell me. How many ships did you see when Legate took you for your ride?"

Genie giggled. "I forgot to count. It was so much fun!"

He looked at Jacob. "What did you think, Jacob? Still want to be an astronaut after doing it?"

Jacob smiled, "Oh yes! That was awesome!"

He smiled at him. "I need to show Logan how to do something tomorrow, if Tony is better and is okay to let me leave. I'm planning on showing you how to do it, too. It will help you, my friend, who is a future astronaut. Alright?"

Jacob smiled, "Oh, I can't wait!"

Rose took Genie and Jacob's hands. "Come on. Let's go watch Star Wars with the Princess. You can introduce me."

Genie turned around and looked at the Doctor as Rose walked away with her and Jacob. He could feel her uneasiness. Jacob stopped and returned to the Doctor.

He knelt back down. "What is it, Jacob?"

Jacob looked in the room. "I would like to see him, John. I can tell Genie that he is alright. He's my best friend and I don't want him to think I don't care."

"Jacob. He's sleeping. He won't know you are there."

"But, I'll know I am there." Jacob told him.

The Doctor looked back up at Rose. She smiled proudly down at Jacob.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Alright, Jacob. Come on."

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx

Lewis, Arla, and Jack sat on a long sofa in the observation deck with the royal party. Poltoius and Legate stood in a corner with Licio and two others of the Royal Quauhtin.

King Clagl walked over and patted Licio on the back. "Introduce these men to Mortimer and Talbot?"

Licio smiled back at Clagl. "Yes. It's interesting the differences in the units."

Talbot said, "I had no idea that Summus had survived."

Poltoius explained. "When the Doctor and the patriarch returned to Plentitude, Summus went back to our planet looking for other survivors. That's when he found my son and some others."

Talbot smiled and shook his head. "He is amazing. I would love to meet him. But, to serve in a unit with him?"

Legate whistled, "Oh, he's a strict man. But, with the family we protect, you have to keep on your toes."

Mortimer laughed, "Yes. We heard about the car chase and a pirate that now has a bounty on your guarded's head?"

Legate smiled, "Not to mention the day to day stuff. Geez. You wouldn't believe what we dealt with just this afternoon with a child."

A soldier walked in with a man who looked like Lance. He was wearing a black, very official looking suit. Lance and Licio saw Luce at the same time as he saw them. He ran to them and wrapped his arms around them both in a tight embrace. "How long has it been? Where is Lewis?"

They yelled for Lewis, who sat up on the sofa and exclaimed loudly, "Luce!"

Luce ran over and embraced Lewis. Jack and Arla both smiled at the scene.

Luce smiled at his brother. "Tell me Lewis, is your bride here?"

Lewis held Arla's hand, "This is her. Arla, meet my brother, Luce."

Luce took her hand and kissed it. "Welcome to the family. I believe you have the best of the brothers."

Lewis laughed at him. "Thank you, Luce. Please join us."

Luce sat down next to them and introduced himself to Jack.

"Is this one of the family you serve now?" Luce asked.

"Yes. He is a family friend. The family stayed in orbit tonight."

"Not fans of sports?" Luce asked.

Lewis smiled, "Oh, I wouldn't say that. Tell me, have you ever heard of football?"

Luce shook his head. "Football? No. What is that?"

"Funny you ask." Jack smiled at him. "Don't worry, it's all part of my brilliant plan."

Lewis smiled as he put his arm around Arla. "Oh, I worry. Now, that all of my brothers are here. Oh, how I worry."

Just as he said that, six men rushed in the room and pointed weapons at everyone. "No one move!"

King Clagl stood up and crossed his arms. "What is this?"

Lewis, Luce and Jack stood up off of the sofa and put their hands up. Lewis pushed Arla's head down where she lay on the sofa, out of view of the pirates.

The Quauhtin slowly moved closer to their charges. A woman walked into the room and looked around.

Lance recognized her immediately, "Choo Tchou."

She looked over at Lance. "I don't know you. I'm looking for the other one."

Lance put his hands on his hips, "Well, that's too bad. He's not here. He's not coming."

"Oh, he'll come if I insist." She said.

Lance shook his head. "I doubt it. He's taking care of something at the moment. He is under my protection, and I won't allow him here."

Choo stood and glared at Lance. Then she stepped close to him and put a knife to his throat. "He is my prize that I've come to collect. Send for him. Now!"

The knife cut into Lance's throat as he grunted. "I refuse."

Jack looked at Lewis and whispered. "Is Lance just going to take that?"

Lewis looked at Jack and pointed at Arla as if to say, "Stay here with her." Then he spoke. "Lance. You have not introduced me to this lady! Have you went and found some trouble again, brother?"

Choo saw him walking towards her. She shouted at him, "Stay where you are!"

Lewis stopped walking as one of her men stood in front of him and growled.

Lewis grinned as he looked around the room at the other Quauhtin. Jack noticed he popped knuckles. Then all at once, the entire room erupted into a large fight.

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxx


	24. Chapter 24 -News from Home

XXXXXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 24 -News from Home

The Doctor sat in the reclined in the chair next to Tony's hospital bed. A football game played on the telly as he read from a tablet he held in his hand. Sam was back in the bend of his arm, sleeping.

"Hey man." A male voice said.

The Doctor looked up to see Stark in the doorway. "Hey!"

He walked over to look at Tony. "He looks alright. Rose said his color was bad."

"Nah. He's improved a lot in the last hour. When he first came in, he was very pale. He lost a lot of blood, but I just gave him something to help him make some more."

"Your body doesn't just do that on it's on?" Stark asked him.

"Not as fast as I would like it to with him. As soon as his body is back at its normal blood rate, it's going to help everything else start feeling better."

Tony nodded his head as he looked serious at him. "That's the reason you are the Doctor, and I'm not."

The Doctor smiled as he looked back at Sam. He took off his glasses and sat his tablet on the shelf next to him. Stark walked over and sat down between him and the television. "Who's playing?"

"Arsenal and Manchester United. It is a recorded game, they played earlier today. I just had it on for Tony."

Stark nodded, "He is going to be alright, right? Sounded pretty serious what happened."

"He will be fine. I spoke to Pete about it, and his leg shouldn't have broken like that. While I was in there, I looked at the bones and they are rather fragile for him."

"Like, Brittle Bone Disease? I've heard of that." Stark asked him.

"Similar, but not as severe. I can give him something to strengthen his bones and hopefully prevent this from happening again. This is the second bone he's broken in six months."

Stark pulled over a table, reached in his jacket pockets and pulled out two small glasses. He pointed at the Doctor. "Alright. I brought the glasses. I know you have the Damn Whiskey, and I'm not about to let you drink by yourself after today."

He smiled and reached into his pocket to pull out a large bottle of Howie's Damn Whiskey. He sat it on the table.

Stark smiled, "I'll never get used to you being able to keep all of that shit in your pockets. You've never explained that to me." He opened it and poured them both a glass.

"I'll explain it one day. Just remind me."

Stark asked, "Did you talk to President Shepherd?"

He rubbed his face as he picked up his glass. "He asked me if I needed another bottle of this."

They both laughed. Stark held up his glass, "People tell me I should drink less booze. I can't seem to find that brand anywhere."

The Doctor laughed as they clanged glasses and drank.

"Have you spoken to Pepper?"

"Since last night? Nah. I did send her a message to ask if she saw us on CNN. She hasn't answered." Stark told him as he refilled their glasses.

"Maybe you should start simply. Maybe send her flowers or something."

Stark drank and shook his head. "I don't know. That is like you. I don't know if I want what you have. I don't know if I could have that with her."

"Two strong personalities-" The Doctor began.

"Yeah, and that's just me." Stark laughed.

The Doctor pointed at him and smiled, "You are such a liar. I can sense that."

"Oh, bullshit. You can't tell that. That's Genie that can tell that. Don't snow job me you weird ass alien."

The Doctor laughed, "Cheers!"

Stark rose his glass as they drank another round.

Stark asked, "Where's your 'Sister Wife' tonight?"

He looked confused, "Who is that?"

"Lewis. Did he go to that sports thing?"

"Oh." He smiled as he refilled his glass. "Yeah, he took Arla down. I've not heard from them."

"Is that odd?"

"Nah. They are probably just involved in the game. He usually is chatting about something though. I'm surprised you didn't go."

Stark shook his head. "Nah. I'm not really into sports."

Friday's voice came over the wristband. "Captain Speed Racer. There is an incoming transmission for you."

The Doctor drank the rest of his glass and sat it back on the table. "Ugh. Put it on the screen in here, Friday."

Pete Tyler appeared on the screen. He smiled as he looked up at the screen. "Hey there again, son. Hey Stark. A little night cap?"

Stark attempted a British accent. "Why of course, governor! Come on, mate! Let us drink one for our absent friend."

The Doctor smiled as Stark and him clanged glasses together and drank. Stark pointed at the screen. "Just for you, Pete! Need a minute alone with this guy?"

Pete smiled at them. "No, it's alright. I know I just spoke to you less than an hour ago, but how's he doing?"

The Doctor looked back at little Tony, lying in the bed. "Still sleeping. He'll be fine, Pete."

Pete nodded his head. "I just had to deal with a couple of things you might find interesting. The pair of you. First of all, or I'll forget, Malcolm."

The Doctor sighed, "Oh, what has he done now?"

"He has been pinching stuff and taking it back to his flat."

Stark sat up straighter and continued with his British accent, "Pinching! Why how dare he! To the gallows with this man!"

The Doctor laughed at him. "That's so bad. I need to give you lessons if you want to continue that."

"Then I can tell everyone I learned to speak proper English from an alien." He teased.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Okay, Pete. So, Malcolm is pinching stuff from Torchwood. What's he done with it?"

"He has apparently continued his black hole experiment from there. He's determined that he get Jack back." Pete told him.

"Ugh. Pete, Jack told me he doesn't want to go back. Malcolm is just using that as an excuse. Ugh. I'm going to kill him."

"Well, we managed to get everything confiscated before I believe he did anything that will cause anyone any problems, but I would like you to have a look at it."

The Doctor nodded his head. "I can only do that from there. I don't have my TARDIS anymore."

"Well, that's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. Is there any way you could turn around and come home? Be here as soon as possible?" Pete asked him.

"What's happened?" The Doctor asked.

"They think Howie has had a heart attack. Apparently the stress from everything has been too much. That's what the doctors are saying now. We're not completely certain what is happening. The Vice President has already been sworn in case he doesn't make it."

The Doctor's heart sank. He rubbed his face. "Oh, wow. Yes. Pete. Let me tie up some stuff here and I'll get us back as soon as possible. Tell Caroline…..hell, I don't even know what to say."

Pete bit his lip. "I know what you mean. Jack's is with her now. I went to tell Jack's about Tony, and got the call. We popped to the hospital and I just came in here to ring you. I just didn't know what else to do. I'll keep you updated. But, son. I just don't trust these damn doctors. I think you are rubbing off on me."

"Pete, let me call someone. I trust this man. He'll come introduce himself to you. Where are you? Walter Reed?" He asked.

Pete nodded his head. "Yes."

"Well, hell he's already there." The Doctor told him. "Six minutes, Pete."

Pete nodded as he ended the call.

"Jesus!" Stark said. "How are they keeping this quiet? My phone alerts me of breaking news."

The Doctor shook his head as he dialed the phone. "If I had my TARDIS, I would have already been there." He mumbled in complaint, then spoke on the phone. "Hey, Doctor Smith! It's Doctor Johnathon Smith. Listen, Howie Shepherd is over at Walter Reed and my father in law just rang me to tell me he has had a heart attack. I don't know who's handling this, but I can't get there for a bit. Can you go see what's happening and ring me back? Pete is there and needs answers, too."

The man on the other end spoke.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Right. Thank you!" He ended the call.

He looked up at Stark and poured himself another drink. "You know, this is mad. I traveled in the time for centuries and never noticed this. Am I wrong or does everything seem to fall apart at once?"

Tony took a drink and shook his head. "Sometimes it does. For example: The Magna Carta was signed in 1215, the same year Beijing was captured and burned by the Mongols under the direction of Genghis Khan. Pablo Picasso died in 1973, the same year the Watergate scandal went to trial and Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' was released. And the last person to be executed by firing squad in the United States happened on the same day "Toy Story 3" was released in 2010. See, you aren't the only student of useless knowledge."

The Doctor shook his head in surprise. "I'm impressed."

Stark poured them both another drink. "You need to call Pete back."

The Doctor waved his hand. "Let Smith figure out what's going on, first. I've got four minutes left."

Stark drank, "That's the one who did my surgery, right?"

The Doctor was deep in thought. "Yeah."

"You look a bit lost without Lewis."

He shook his head. "Nah, I gave him and Arla our hotel room for the night. I won't hear from him."

"If we were to leave right now. Hauled ass back, how long would it take us to get there?"

"With the engines at 100%? Eight hours and 18 minutes before we were picked up by Torchwood. I'll have to speak to Clagl about this-"

A deep voice spoke, "Then lucky I have arrived! What shall we speak of?"

Stark and The Doctor both stood up. The Doctor smiled. "King Clagl, my friend Tony Stark."

Tony shook hands with the King and nodded. "Pour you a drink?"

The King laughed as he shook his head. "Thank you. I've had such excitement for one evening! The one who put the bounty out on your head has been dealt with. You can thank your Quauhtin, Lewis and Lance for that. They fought bravely."

The Doctor's heart sunk. "Where are they?"

The King smiled as he waved his hand. "I am sorry to alarm you. They are all fine. Quauhtin live for such nights as this. They are all back aboard your ship, celebrating their victory. With the exception of Lewis and his bride. In fact, I have two Quauhtin that have asked to join your detail if you will allow it. Lewis has given his permission, and I have given mine."

The Doctor looked surprised, "Lewis is in charge of that, not me. I'm sorry, please come in and sit down. There seems to be a lot we need to discuss.

XxxxxXxx

The Doctor put Sam in his cot in the corner of the room, and sat on the side of Tony's hospital bed. He leaned back and pressed some buttons on the device on Tony's head. He looked at his sleeping face and smiled.

Stark and King Clagl sat in the chairs in front of him. Stark had went to the food replicator, and asked for a small glass for the Clagl. Then he poured them all a drink.

The King sipped the drink. "This is really good! What is it called?"

The Doctor had enough of it that he didn't think and said, "Damn Whiskey."

Stark laughed, "No. It's Tennessee Whiskey. He calls it that because it's one of the few things that seem to rattle his brain. He's a mean drunk, too. He punched a man out that works for him once when he was drinking this."

The King looked surprised back at the Doctor.

"Okay, there is a whole lot more to that story than that." The Doctor defended himself.

Stark looked back at the King. "We might need to get those Quauhtin in here for you."

The Doctor shook his head in disbelief. "Really!?"

"What? It's my duty to warn this man who he's drinking with." Stark said.

The King was laughing. He pointed at Stark and told the Doctor. "Oh, I like him! He seems fun."

"He's not even gotten started yet." The Doctor rolled his eyes.

Stark slapped the table. "Tell us of the battle that was worthy of a Quauhtin's celebration."

The King smiled as he sat his glass back down. "It was amazing. Lewis seemed to coordinate it all within their minds, as a Quauhtin General would-"

"Hang on. Lewis is a General?" Stark asked.

The Doctor nodded his head. "He is only outranked by Summus at this point."

The King smiled. "Yes. Lewis is the highest ranked Quauhtin I've ever met. The honor has been all mine."

Stark looked surprised. "Huh. I didn't realize that. He's just, Lewis."

The King looked at Stark. "He is a deadly creature. There were seven men, one with a knife to Lance's throat when Lewis apparently signaled them to start the fight. Lewis dropped four on his own before I could even take a breath. He threw one through the glass of the observation room. Licio and Lance handled the rest. All of them were arrested and are charged with an assassination attempt."

The Doctor looked proud, "See, Tony. No weapons."

Stark nodded his head. "Hey. We've talked about that."

Rose walked in the room. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear." He looked at the Doctor. "You are happy about this?"

He struggled to find words. "Well, Rose. They didn't have the best intentions-"

"This is Donna. That's where this is coming from. Like the swearing." She said as she pointed at him.

He rubbed his face. "Oh, hell. Probably so."

He looked back up at her slowly to find she was smiling at him. _'I still love you. Nothing changes that. I just find it a bit surprising.'_

He smiled as he felt young Tony move behind him. He handed Rose his empty glass and turned around quickly. "Tony." He took Tony's hand and ran his other hand through his ginger hair. "Tony. I'm here. You're alright."

Tony opened his eyes slowly and looked around the room. "John?"

The Doctor smiled. "Yes, Comrade. It's me. Rose is here, too." He clicked the button on the metal device on Tony's head a couple of times.

Rose asked him. "How do you feel?"

Tony started to cry. She could feel his fear. The Doctor quickly lay down on the bed next to Tony and wrapped his arms around him. He held him tightly. "You are alright. You're right here with us."

Tony cried. "I'm falling."

The Doctor held him. He put his hand on his head. "Shh…. You're not falling. It's how I'm controlling the pain. You are safe. I'm right here. I won't let you go. I won't let you fall."

Rose took Tony's hand. He stopped crying as he fell back into an uneasy sleep. Rose looked up at the Doctor. "You pushed him back to sleep, didn't you?"

He nodded. "He's not ready to wake up. He needs to rest."

Rose sighed and nodded her head. She told him quietly. "I came down to get Sam."

He shook his head. "He's fine. He's sleeping over there the cot. Don't worry about him. You go onto sleep. I'll look after both of them."

Rose walked over to the cot and picked up Sam. "You have your hands full with Tony. Especially, if both of these Tonys are in here."

Stark held his hands out in mock surprise. "What the hell did I do?" He turned to the Doctor. "Is your four minutes up yet?"

"Shit. I completely forgot about that. Rose, stay here for a moment. I need you to hear all of this. Clagl, I need to ask something. Your daughter has expressed interest in becoming a doctor. The human system is not different than the Andromedaens. Well, except for the external difference of hair or eye color."

Clagl sipped his drink. "What are you offering?"

The Doctor put his arm behind his head to prop it up, as Tony continued to sleep on his chest. "Let me bring her back with me to Earth. She can become a doctor and live in our home with us under the protection of the Quauhtin that she already knows."

Clagl thought as he nodded his head. "This is a good opportunity for her. She will be of age soon, but I feel she is old enough now to make this decision on her own."

The Doctor nodded. "Also, something has happened. I spoke to my wife's father tonight, and was told that Howie Shepherd, a very close family friend, has had a heart attack. We're not sure of his condition, but we have been asked to return home as soon as we can."

Rose gasped and held Sam closer. "Oh my God."

Clagl nodded his head. "No one will be able to leave orbit for hours. Does your father know?"

He shook his head. "I have to ring him again to tell him what we are doing. That's the reason I wanted to chat with you about your daughter tonight. She would have to depart with us when we're able to get out. Plus, Lewis is on the planet until morning."

Clagl nodded his head. "Speak to your father. Tell him you will be returning with my daughter. I will leave it to her whether she wants to remain. I've wanted to visit there for a while, and if she's there, I have a reason. I'll speak with her."

The Doctor continued to lie in the bed and hold Tony. He clicked the buttons on the device on his head a few more times. Tony seemed to relax more. "The only thing that remains is this wedding. Lewis was determined to marry before he returned."

Clagl tossed his hand up. "Oh, that will take 10 minutes. We'll do it in the morning before you depart. It's not a problem."

Clagl stood up and drank the last of his drink. He sat the glass on the table. "I really like that. Have some for me when I come to visit my daughter."

The Doctor smiled. "Of course."

The King walked out of the room. Stark poured his own glass full again and handed it to Rose. "Here. I imagine you need this."

She took it and drank it all at once.

He opened his eyes wide at her in shock. "Slow down. You'll ruin your amateur standing."

Rose handed him back the glass. "Thanks. So, we're headed back tomorrow?"

The Doctor was still looking at her in surprise. "Umm. Yeah. I suppose so. We probably need to call Pete back. I'll handle that in a bit."

Rose walked over to the Doctor lying in the bed. She leaned over and kissed him. Then she kissed Tony on the cheek.

She turned around and smiled at Stark.

"No kiss for me?" He asked.

She smiled as she walked out of the room holding Sam. "Goodnight, guys."

As soon as she was gone for a few minutes, Stark pointed at the door. "Alright. I didn't see that coming. Does she drink?"

"She's not drank in months. And she is nursing. But, I don't think she's nursed him since yesterday. Hell, I have no idea what's going on with her. It's been a strange day. Pour me another one."

Stark poured him another drink and moved into the recliner to better reach him. "There. What does Lewis say?"

"Timon is in the control room. He says the soonest we can get out is in seven hours. He's reserved us a departure time. Its 1:23 am now, we'll leave at 8:30 am. Alright. That gives us some time." He rubbed his face as he laid his head back. "Alright, Lewis will be back at 6:30. We'll have a wedding at 7:30."

His bracelet lit up as his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and took the call. "Doctor Smith."

He listened to the voice. After a few moments he nodded his head. "Right. Thank you, I really appreciate it. Please call me if anything changes. I can't get there until… around 6:00 tomorrow afternoon. Yes. Call anytime. It's going to be a sleepless night here, too."

He ended the call and slipped his phone back in his pocket. "Friday, ring Pete back. Put the call on the screen in here."

"Certainly, Captain Speed Racer." Friday replied.

He looked back at Stark. "About the Captain thing. Really? It's something new every day."

"It's cheap entertainment for us. Keeps the crew from a mutiny. I'm doing you a favor, man."

The Doctor mumbled as he chuckled, "You are such a pain in the ass."

Stark smiled proudly, "Likewise."

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	25. Chapter 25 - Kmuevvuhz Kill

_Two updates in one day?! Awesome reviews scored it for you! Enjoy!_

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Chapter 25 - Kmuevvuhz Kill

Tony slept peacefully while Stark and the Doctor drank the remainder of the Damn Whiskey together.

"You don't have to stay in here with us." The Doctor told Stark.

"Oh, like hell. What else am I doing? Besides, I'm fairly certain that walking back to my room is out for a while. I need to remain seated." Stark insisted.

The Doctor laughed quietly as he leaned back in the bed. "I don't know why I keep drinking that stuff. Don't let me do anything embarrassing, alright?"

"Completely trashed, huh?" Stark asked him as he rested his face on his fist.

"Oh yes." The Doctor agreed. "And Rose is sleeping so she can't tell."

Stark laughed as he shook his head. "I think that's three nights in a row for you, no maybe four."

The Doctor lay on the bed, rubbing his face, as Tony Tyler slept on his chest. Jack gently tapped on the door. "Hey. Am I late to the party?"

Stark smiled at him. "Come in. Sorry man. The bottle appears to have sprung a leak."

Jack looked at The Doctor and Tony lying in the bed together. "Ah, I'm still pretty toasty from the Quauhtin celebration." He pointed at the bed. "Is he asleep?"

The Doctor moaned, "No. I'm just resting my eyes."

Jack rolled his eyes, "Oh, right man. Whatever. You both missed the best fight I think I've ever seen. I didn't even get to throw the first punch!"

The Doctor rubbed his face and propped his head back up on his arm, "Yeah, Clagl came in here for a bit. Lewis took out four men?"

Jack sat in the chair next to Stark. "I counted five. But, anyway, I didn't know about this. Do you know who Lewis is? Do you remember the Kmuevvuhz Kill? I'm sure you heard about that."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yeah. That was Summus-"

Jack was shaking his head, "No. That was Lewis. I just found that out tonight. I don't know if that is the same in our dimension, or just one of those odd differences."

Stark held up his hand, "Hang on. Earth boy isn't following. The what?"

Jack looked back at him, "The Kmuevvuhz Kill. It's a story that has been told for …."

The Doctor shook his head, "At least 175 years at this point."

Jack pointed at him. "Thank you. Yes. The story goes that the Kmuevvuhz Prince was about to be assassinated. He was not much older than Tony Tyler. The Quauhtin guarding him pulled him away from his would be killer, pressed the kid's face into his body so he didn't see it happen. Then he punched the assassin's side, broke his rib, then… wow….damn….."

Stark tossed up his hands, "Well, what?"

The Doctor finished, "Well, he pushed his hand into the assassin's chest, took out his rib and stabbed the assassin with it."

"His own rib?" Stark exclaimed.

Jack nodded his head. "That was Lewis."

Stark sat back and shook his head. "Oh, bullshit. Not Lewis. Lewis couldn't do that."

The Doctor looked seriously at Stark. "Lewis is a Quauhtin. They are sworn to do anything to protect the families they serve. But, yeah. Wow. That was Lewis?!"

Jack smiled in disbelief. "Lance, Luce and Licio said he does not talk about it. I can see why. Wow. I certainly see him in a different light."

"Well, that's why he doesn't talk about it. He doesn't want to be seen any differently. Don't talk to him about this. It would be better if we would forget it. He would have told us if he had wanted us to know." The Doctor told them.

Stark shook his head. "That's not even possible. How can you pull someone's rib out of their chest?"

Jack shook his head. "I have no idea. I bet he does." He pointed at the Doctor.

The Doctor rubbed his face. "It's a move that you can learn in Kung Fu. I can't remember what it's called, but you strike with your fingers extended. They act as knives. If you push them into certain places in the body, you could pull out something like that."

Stark looked impressed. "Have you ever done that?"

The Doctor closed his eyes as he leaned back. "Lewis did that. Wow."

Stark pointed at the Doctor as he looked back at Jack. "He's like a black hole. Information void."

Jack laughed, "Exactly. He's drunk enough though, I bet we can get some information out of him."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm really not that bad-"

"Horseshit. You've drank half a bottle of Howie's whiskey. I know what that does to you."

The Doctor didn't move from the bed. "Shut up, Jack."

Stark smiled, "You know, I stumbled on something in Friday's databank yesterday. Something called, 'Shagging Music.' Really? You have to have music to have sex? Is that an alien thing?"

The Doctor laughed quietly, "Oh geez. I can't believe you, man."

Jack laughed, "Really? What sort of music does he have?"

"Swanky stuff. Although, I was surprised there was so much modern music in it. You strike me as a Barry White sort of guy, Doc'."

The Doctor sat up on the side of the bed and rubbed his face. "Barry White? Me?"

Jack was laughing hysterically. "This is great! Rose wants you to play music? Is that to muffle the creaking of the old bones?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, the gods. I'm not talking about this to you two."

Stark laughed, "No, you misunderstand. We're talking about it to you. See the difference? Alright. Music. What else does she have to have? Candles? Sappy stuff like that?"

He pointed at finger at them. "Let me point out, I'm the only married man in this room. Apparently, I'm doing something right."

Jack laughed, "But, Rose isn't enough for you, huh? Hiding out in the closet with Lewis?"

He smiled as he shook his head. "It wasn't like that. Rose had just left."

Those were the wrong words. Both of them gasped. He quickly held up both of his hands, "NO! It's not like that, either! Oh, just … shut up."

They both laughed hysterically at him.

Stark laughed, "Oh, while your blood pressure is elevated, Rose converted me on that underwear she says you love."

Jack smiled, "Isn't it the best?"

"Oh, hell yeah! I'm wearing some now. Where have these been all of my life?" Stark said.

Jack looked back at the Doctor, who was turned around and looking at Tony's leg. "Jack. Can you go get me some, Cooling Chalcedony?"

"Everything alright?" Jack asked.

"Yeah, he just needs some. Hey, get some ummm…. Cicatrix Instaurab, too. It's right there with it."

Jack was already out of the door. "Got it."

"Do you know where that -"

"Got it." He yelled from down the hallway.

Stark looked at him, "Everything really alright?"

"He's fine. He just needs to get these muscles cooled off. They seem to be swelling more than they should."

Jack walked back in the door. "Your Cooling Chalcedony, Doctor."

"Cheers." He said as he opened up the metal container and rubbed the blue gel on Tony's leg, foot and knee.

Jack turned back to Stark. "It's like putting ice on it. But, better. It goes into the muscles. Cools them off."

Stark nodded his head. "Interesting."

The Doctor put the lid back on the container and Jack handed him the other one. "Your Cicatrix Instaurab, Doctor." He presented it to him.

The Doctor chuckled at him. "Tony. Take off your shirt. Let's take care of that."

Stark looked surprised, "Catch me up. What the hell are we doing?"

"Let me see that scar from the surgery we did. This will fix that." He told him.

Stark pulled off his long sleeved shirt and grumbled. "Oh, what the hell." His chest showed an area where the arc reactor had been for so long had closed up. Lines from where his chest had been opened during the heart transplant were very clear from his collarbone down to his stomach. He sat in the chair and held his hands out. "Alright. What weird shit are you going to do here? I look like Frankenstein, you know. I'm good with that."

The Doctor chuckled. He tossed him the small, round metal tin. "Put that on there. Right where it's scarred. It will regrow the skin the way it used to be. Keep that tin. Once your DNA is in it, it can't be used for anyone else."

Stark opened the tin and rubbed the gel on his chest. "This feels strange. Is it supposed to tingle like this?"

"Keep your shirt off so I can keep an eye on it. Some people react to it. Hopefully you won't."

Stark shook his head. "Very comforting words, thanks."

Jack asked, "So, we're headed home?"

The Doctor sat back down on the bed with Tony. "Yep. In a matter of hours. I'm sure you'll be happy to see Jake. Next time we come, let's try to bring him."

Jack looked back at Stark and smiled, "Hey. I'm interested more in this shagging music. Let's get back to that-"

"Oh, the gods. Really?" he moaned.

Stark laughed as he rubbed the cream on his chest. "Yes. Explain to us, loverboy alien, how you use this music effectively?"

The Doctor shook his head and smiled, "I'm not talking about this."

Stark looked at Jack. "Get this man a beer! He'll sing like a bird if he gets enough alcohol in him."

Jack laughed as he went to the food replicator and brought back three beers. "Looks like the five months Jake and I were gone, you two hung out a bit."

The Doctor smiled, "Not really. This is the most time we've spent together."

Stark finished putting on the cream and closed the container. He sat it on the table and drank his beer. "And you see how he evades the question. He's slippery. You have to nail him to the wall."

He smiled, "I'm not talking about this." He drank half of his beer. Stark smiled at Jack. "And in three….two….."

"See, there is sex and then there is making love. There is a difference." He drank the rest of his beer and Jack rushed to get him another one.

Jack smiled at Stark and whispered, "This is brilliant. I didn't know you could get him to do this."

Stark smiled at him. "Stick around. Learn something else." Then he spoke to the Doctor. "Alright. Well, personally I just like the hot sex. Which do you prefer?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Both. Make love, then have sex. Understand?"

Stark laughed quietly, "No. Explain that."

The Doctor sipped his beer. "See, great sex is fantastic. But, great sex with real love is ….. ace." He told them.

Jack smiled back at Stark. "He won't remember even saying any of this in the morning."

"I give him ten minutes before he forgets. Keep the beer coming." Stark whispered.

Jack threw his head back and laughed, "You know, Doc. See, I thought you would just be a 'hot sex' sortof guy."

"Nah. A good laugh, partner in crime, epic conversations, a friendship, unquestionable loyalty, great sex. The entire package. The sort that pulls you away from a King and into a cupboard for a shag that makes your brain completely sort out."

Stark whispered to Jack. "I really should have tried harder with this woman. Damn."

Jack smiled, "Now. A shag in the cupboard. Does that fall into the making love category, or the hot sex category?"

The Doctor drank the rest of the beer and sat the bottle on the table. "Oh, hot sex."

Stark smiled and repeated, "Hot sex."

The Doctor looked away, dreamily. "Hot dirty sex. Wow. It was great."

Stark and Jack were laughing hysterically at him. He lay back on the bed and lay his arm over his face. "Guys. The room is spinning. Don't let me say anything embarrassing. I need to stop for a while."

Jack shook his head. "I think you're fine, man. Don't worry about it. Rest a bit."

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Tony Tyler woke up laying on the sleeping Doctor's stomach. The telly in the corner showed CNN and some reporter talking about the Stark Expo Explosion. Stark and Jack sipped their drinks as they watched the telly. Stark had put his shirt back on, but rubbed his chest absentmindedly.

"John?" Tony asked.

Both Stark and Jack heard him and jumped up. Jack punched the Doctor in the shoulder. "Wake up, John. Tony's awake."

The Doctor groaned as he woke up and raised his head to meet Tony's gaze. He put his hand on Tony's forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Tony rubbed his face. "My head is all…. Strange."

"It's the medicine." The Doctor asked him. "Any pain?"

Tony shook his head, "I can't feel my leg. Did you cut it off?"

The Doctor chuckled, "No, little brother. I promised you I wouldn't do that. You nearly did though. I've never seen any break a leg that bad. And that is saying something."

The Doctor uncovered Tony's leg so he could see it. It floated above the mattress.

"Why can't I feel it?" Tony asked him.

"You're on some good stuff." Jack laughed at him.

Stark smiled proudly at him.

"I smell chips." Tony told them.

The Doctor wrapped his arms around Tony and laughed. "You are just like your sister. Her favorite thing is chips, too."

Jack smiled at him as he went over to the food replicator and asked for some chips. He sat them on the table where Tony could reach them.

The Doctor raised the bed up so Tony could sit up. Tony asked, "Who won the game?"

Stark shook his head and smiled. "I've seen that damn game about five times. I'm not telling. John recorded it for you to see. I don't like soccer. How do you watch that boring stuff?"

Tony smiled. "I'm sure we'll convert you, Mr. Tony."

Stark shrugged his shoulders, "Stranger things have happened to me."

Tony ate some of the chips and looked around the room. "What time is it?"

"Oh, it's early in the morning. Around 5:00." Jack told him.

"Do I have to go back to sleep?" Tony asked them.

Stark sat down in the chair. "You are not allowed to go back to sleep until you watch this damn football game so I don't have to see it anymore."

The Doctor laughed as he ate some of the chips. "These aren't that bad."

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "The ones Arla brings us are better."

Jack smiled at Tony. "Your brother didn't leave you side this entire time. He's been sleeping in the bed with you for the past couple of hours."

Stark laughed, "Yeah, man. I don't even think he's gone to pee."

The Doctor jumped up. "Damn it, Stark. If you don't think about it, you don't have to go."

They all laughed as he ran to the loo and closed the door. Stark pointed at the door. "That guy is so entertaining."

Tony smiled at them. "Have you lot been in here teasing my brother while I've slept?"

Jack looked surprised, "Us?"

Stark attempted the bad British accent again. "Now, governor. What would ever make you believe we would be responsible for such outrage? We are proper, gentlemen. Not ruffians."

Tony smiled at them and shook his head. "You are a nutter."

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	26. Chapter 26 - Neurological Moments

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Chapter 26 - Neurological Moments

Rose stood in the shower and let the hot water run across her body. She had woken up with sore muscles again in her legs and decided to skip her morning run. The warm water had made them feel better and more relaxed. She stood under the water with her eyes closed and thought about the madness of the day before. She worried about Howie and Caroline. She thought of her brother who had looked so very pale and sick. Then she thought of the Doctor who had refused to leave his side all night. She smiled at the thought of him.

She leaned back and ran her hands through her hair again. The water seemed to get cooler. Then, suddenly, she felt the familiar hands on her cheeks and lips on her own. She didn't open her eyes and ran her hands through the Doctor's hair as they both stood under the water and kissed. She could feel his lust and excitement as his tongue danced with hers.

He moved his hands to cup both of her breasts.

She didn't open her eyes. "Are you really here? Or are you in my head?"

He kissed her again as he moved his hand between her legs and rubbed her clit. She dropped her hands to his shoulders and felt it.

She opened her eyes in shock. "Are you in here in your clothes? Are you mad?"

He laughed as he looked down at himself. "I have no regrets. I had to kiss you."

Rose laughed, "I can't believe y-"

He started to kiss her again. She unbuttoned his jeans. She peeled them off of him and he kicked them out of the door as he continued to kiss her. He ran his hands up and down her body. She slid his pants down and teased his shaft.

He stopped kissing her long enough to pull off his t-shirt and pants and toss them out the shower door. He returned to holding her cheeks as he started to snog her again. She leaned back a bit and licked her lips. He felt her tongue, opened his mouth wide and ran his tongue on top of hers. She moaned.

He dropped his hand again between her legs to rub her again. She wrapped her leg around the back of his leg and panted.

"They don't feel sore today. Are they alright?" He asked.

She panted, "I'm fine." He turned off the shower and turned on the steamer to keep them warm. He picked her up and slid inside of her. He took her roughly against the shower wall. Her mind went completely blank as he nibbled her neck and panted.

"Oh, I love you. I love that we can do this." He told her.

She was unable to speak, completely lost in her pleasure. She cried out as he sat down on the bench in the shower. She stood above him as he thrust up to her. She moaned. He smiled as he felt her enjoyment.

 _'I've dreamed we were together like this all night.'_ She told him.

He smiled at her. "So have I. Oh, wow. You're already there." He snogged her again.

She smiled as she leaned back and turned back on the shower. "You're not there."

He smiled like a loon at her. "What do you have in mind?"

She got on her knees and took him into her mouth. He leaned his head back and panted. "Rose. Oh, wow. This. Oh wow."

Then Rose hummed while he was in her mouth. He shouted. "Oh shit! Oh wow."

She smiled as she stroked him and sucked on his swollen member. She noticed his toes curl up. "Ah. Rose." He said quietly. She sucked harder. His voice changed as he growled. Rose took him out of her mouth as she laughed. She could feel his heart racing as he laid his head back on the wall. "Oh, wow. You're only getting better at that. And you were already brilliant before." He said as he tried to catch his breath.

Rose smiled, "I should polish your knob."

He looked confused. "What?"

She took him back in her mouth again. "Rose. I've already, finished…. Oh, my… This is.. … Rose!"

He beat his head in the wall as she stroked him in her mouth again. She stopped and looked up at him. His eyes were closed tightly, and his teeth were pressed together.

She laughed at him. "You don't like that?"

He opened one eye, and looked at her. Then jumped as he shouted. "Holy shit, woman! What the hell!?"

She laughed at him as she straddled his lap and kissed him quickly. He relaxed and held her in his arms. She whispered, "I've wanted to do that for a while to see what you would do."

He lay his head back and hit the wall again.

"You are so noisy. I hope you haven't woken up this entire ship with your….. did you growl?"

He smiled, "I don't know. I'm still trying to catch my breath. I remember you shouted."

"Oh, I did not-"

"Oh you did." He smiled at her. "I know how to make you do that and I plan to do it everytime. I don't care who hears."

She giggled at him. "Can I have a say so in that?"

He teased her. "No. Not at all. I plan to take at the Tyler mansion and wake up the entire house with your shouts."

She playfully smacked him.

"And then I'll take you back to our home. I'll lay you in our bed. I'll take off each article of your clothes, slowly and one by one. I'll study every curve, and every edge. I want to see with my own eyes where you end and were I begin. I want to see where I fit, where you stop being you and turn into me."

"You are so full of lust, I think you might explode." Rose told him.

He shook his head, "It's not lust Rose. That is love. Let me make love to you again. Please. This was just sex. Let me love you."

Rose's mouth opened in shock. She laughed quietly, "I'll never get used to hearing you talk dirty to me." He took the opportunity and kissed her. They stood up and he pressed her into the wall of the shower and snogged her again. His enthusiasm was mirrored by her own.

She panted in his ear. "How long until you can –"

"Eight minutes. Give me eight minutes." He told her.

She moaned as he continued to kiss her. He held her head gently as the water from the shower rained on their faces.

His wristband blinked. Jack's voice came through the speakers. "Hey, hey there, Captain!"

He didn't stop snogging Rose. He whispered, "Ignore him."

Jack wasn't going to be ignored. "Pete says there is improvement with Howie. The situation isn't as grave, but he's happy we are still planning on coming home today because he wants to see Tony, and wants you to look over the cowboy."

The Doctor and Rose didn't stop with their snog.

Jack said, "Well, this is awkward. I'm not going to ask what you are doing that's keeping you so quiet."

"Shut up, Jack. What else do you want?" the Doctor demanded.

"Your brother is in pain again and is requesting to see you."

He stopped kissing Rose. "Tap the pain control twice. I'll be there in five minutes." He sighed at Rose, "I'm so sorry."

Rose rubbed his beard, "There's nothing to be sorry about. I love you. This was amazing. Make love to me whenever you like. I'm yours."

He smiled at her. "You are remarkable."

She turned off the shower, "Let me help you go get dressed. We have a wedding in a few hours."

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Insisting that he had to leave, the Doctor had jumped into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He ran barefoot down the hallways back to Tony's room. He could hear him laughing. He ran into the room to find King Clagl, Legate and Logan tossing the small, electric ball to him.

He stood in the doorway and breathed a sigh of relief. "Feeling better, Tony?"

Tony smiled, "Hey, John. Jack clicked something on my head and it stopped hurting. Is he a doctor, too?"

The Doctor stood next to Tony and checked the pain control device on the side of his head. "Jack is trained in advanced first aid, that's the reason I left him here with you."

The Doctor smiled at the men and shook their hands.

Clagl smiled, "This boy is doing so much better this morning. I worried about him last night."

Logan sat down on the side of the bed. "The Princess wanted to come see you this morning. She's getting ready for Lewis' wedding. It's this morning."

Tony looked surprised. "Legate said we were going home already. Why?"

The Doctor bit his lip. "Let me explain that a bit later. Alright?"

Just then, Genie ran into the room. "Daddy!" He turned around and caught her as she jumped in his arms.

He looked at her. "You are still in your jim jams."

She covered her mouth and giggled. "Mum told me to hurry down here. Lewis has something he's bringing."

The Doctor's face lit up. "Oh, Lewis is the best! I know what it is. Are Mum and Jacob on their way down, too?"

"We're here." Rose told him as she walked in the room. She raised her hands. "Arla has Sam. I have no idea what Lewis is up to, but he said it was very important."

"Oh, it is. I'm so grateful that he remembered!" the Doctor told her.

Lewis and Jack walked in the room carrying a tray of tall, green sodas that glowed. They sat them down on the table at Tony's bed.

Tony leaned up in the bed and looked at them. "What the heck is that, Lewis?"

Legate laughed. "Oh my! These? Brilliant send off, Lewis!"

Lewis smiled. "It's tradition. You have to have these on the last morning you are here."

Rose smiled, "What is it?"

Legate smiled, "It's called a Fuzzy. I hear that Pete loved it."

The Doctor pointed at him. "You should to check your sources."

Lewis laughed, "Come on, children! There's plenty for everyone! Try it and tell me what you think."

Everyone was given one. Rose looked at it questionability. "What is this? It's glowing." She asked the Doctor.

He kissed her quickly and smiled like a loon. "It's a fuzzy. Alright, everyone. Don't take a little sip, you have to take a really big drink. Ready….."

Jack laughed and said quietly, "Oh, that's just mean."

Legate heard him and laughed. King Clagl laughed as he crossed his arms and watched.

Jack smiled, "Doc'. Give me your phone so I can video this for Pete and Summus."

The Doctor tossed him his phone. "Great idea! Alright…..Set…."

Everyone readied to drink as he said, "Okay, drink!"

Everyone took a big drink at once. Rose looked at the Doctor who laughing under his breath so hard that tears were coming out of his eyes. Knowing what was coming, he took Genie's glass from her. Then it all hit at once. Everyone in the room screamed.

Genie grabbed the Doctor's hair with both hands. She spoke in a deep voice, "DADDY! That is SO PUCKERY!" She covered her face with her hands and screamed.

Rose sat the glass down and covered her face. "Oh my God. That's terrible. That's the worst thing I've ever had in my life."

Tony shook his head. "UGH! That's like drinking pickle juice! Oh wow! I can feel my hair growing! I'm crying."

Logan coughed, "Oh, wow. That's nasty. Worst than any sour candy I've ever had."

Jacob wiped the sweat off of his brow. "My skin feels like it's rolling up! John! That's just mean. You didn't even drink any! What the heck man!?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "No one said you had to drink it."

King Clagl laughed.

Rose put her hands on her hips as she looked at the Doctor. "Could you set our daughter down for a moment?"

He smiled at her as he sat Genie down. "Yes, ma'am. Why?"

Rose walked closer to him as he backed towards the doorway. "Because I'm going to hit you!"

"Lewis!" he yelled as he ran into the hallway and Rose followed him.

The entire room erupted in laughter.

Lewis called back. "I think you deserve it." He shrugged his shoulders as he looked around the room. "I can't help anyway."

Rose chased him down the hallway where he turned and caught her in his arms. He was still laughing at her. "Go on and hit me. Then I'm going to kiss you."

Rose smiled. "I'll hit you when you are least expecting it."

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered. "Can I have fifteen minutes?"

Rose giggled, "Oh, I know what you are on about. Where can we go?"

He thought as he rubbed his beard. "It's a big ship. Surely there is a place no one is at."

Rose smiled, "I'm good with a cupboard again."

"Nah." He snapped his fingers. "Got it! No one knows about it yet. Come on."

He held her hand and ran down the hallway and into the lift. As it went down, he pinned her to the wall and kissed her all the way down. The doors opened. She laughed as he grabbed her hand and ran down the hallway. After a few turns, he stopped in front of where a bunch of metal boxes had been stacked up.

He turned to her and put his finger over his lips. "This is a secret I wasn't going to tell anyone about until we were on our way home."

Rose looked at the boxes and laughed, "What? The pile of rubbish?"

He chuckled, "No. What's behind it. You didn't think I'll have a ship without one, did you?"

He pushed the group of boxes over and opened a door to reveal a bigger on the inside room that contained a large soccer pitch. It was surrounded by seating for an audience, about five rows high, and had two team boxes. The green grass almost glowed.

Rose covered her mouth in surprise. "I can't believe you have a football pitch on this ship."

He looked at it and smiled. "Yeah. I'm proud of it. We're going to use it for Lewis' bachelor party on the way home today. Well….. now it will be a wedding reception. Probably better. Jack knows it's on the ship, but no one knows where it is but me and you at the moment."

Rose turned to look at him. "So, what did you have in mind?"

"There's locker rooms in the back." He suggested.

Rose shook her head. "No."

He looked surprised at her. "Well, there are team boxes. I suppose-"

She looked at him with her tongue in her teeth. He unbuttoned his jeans. "No one knows this is here. Let's do it in the middle of this pitch."

His eyes lit up. "Oh wow! Okay. Yes. Dirty, hot sex on the football pitch."

Rose pulled him out to the middle of pitch by his jeans. His brain had completely sorted out. He could only smile and allow her to lead him around. She was wearing another short, shift dress like she had worn the night before. He put his hands up her dress and on her hips.

He smiled as he laid his forehead on hers. "I love these dresses. It's as if you are wearing my oxfords or something. Get some more of them."

She smiled as he kissed her. Rose sucked his bottom lip as she slipped his jeans off of him. "Are you not wearing any pants?"

He laughed, "I got dressed in a hurry."

She stroked him in her hand as he got hard, very fast. He rubbed between her legs and felt her knickers become very wet. They lay down on the middle of the pitch. He pulled off her knickers and tossed them behind his head.

"Goal!" he laughed, even though the knickers hadn't came close to the goal.

"Do not lose my knickers in here." She told him as she pulled his shirt off of him.

"I've never lost a pair of your knickers." He smiled at her as he rolled on his back and she leaned down and sucked his nipples.

He moaned. "Oh wow. I love that."

She smiled at him. "How much time do we have?"

He laughed, "Not long. We probably need to be quick about this."

Rose smiled, "You're going to find this demanding-"

"I really won't. Tell me what you want. We'll do it. You are the boss."

Rose laughed, "Alright." She leaned down and snogged him, sending him images in his head.

He looked surprised as she rose up.

She smiled at the look on his face. "Is that okay?"

"I'm noticing you are still wearing your dress in all of these positions. Is that what you want?"

She smiled as she moved to lick his staff. He covered his face. "Oh wow. You are not kidding."

She held her hands to her mouth and thrust his staff as she went down on him. He moaned, "How are you even doing that?" She sucked it until he slapped the grass and growled loudly.

She couldn't help it and laughed at him. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't laugh at that."

He looked confused, "What did I do?"

She laughed and shook her head. "I won't say."

He smiled as he sat up. "Next one. This one is going to make you shout. I know you."

She got on her hands and knees. After he slipped inside of her from behind, she dropped to her elbows. His prediction was right and she cried out in moments.

He slipped out of her and sat back down on the pitch. "Okay. Third one. I'm looking forward to this one most. I can kiss you."

She straddled his waist, slipping himself back inside of her. He sat up, held her face and kissed her. She moaned and he looked down to see that she was rubbing where he had entered her opening.

He shook his head. "No. Let me do that." He ran his hand on hers as they both looked down at where he was inside of her. She teased his area, and then her own. Then he did the same thing and looked up at her and was overcome with the need to snog her.

Rose spoke to him in his head. _'My God, this is hot.'_

 _'I'm getting close.'_ He told her. "We need to slow down and get you there."

She lay down on her back and put her legs on his shoulders. He rubbed his tip outside of her and teased her by only putting himself in a bit a time.

He smiled as he looked up at her. He could feel how much she was enjoying it. "Just a bit?"

"Until you are ready." She told him.

He shook his head. "I'm adding to the plan." And he went down and began to lick her between her legs. He rolled her knob around his teeth and purred. It made her go wild. She covered her face and moaned.

He smiled at her. "Are you breathing?"

She shook her head to tell him she wasn't. He laughed and spread her legs apart and began to run his tongue and lips all around her most sensitive of areas. She cried out and he only continued. He held her hips to bring her closer to his lips. He sucked her flaps as he ran his fingers inside of her. She arched her back and shouted.

He kissed her chest all the way up to her mouth. She flipped him over and sat on top of him. He laughed, "Change of plan?"

She went down on him and sucked. His eyes rolled back in his head as he spoke in Gallifreyan. She felt his mind go completely blank. She rubbed his stomach, noticing for the first time the beginning a toned muscles there. She stroked knowing what would happen as he erupted in her mouth. She licked his staff as it relaxed. He breathed heavy.

She rose up and sat on his waist again. "How was that?"

He could only look at her in shock. She could feel his mind was still blank. He could only lay there and look at her.

She looked confused at him as she took his hands. "Are you alright?"

He closed his eyes tightly and nodded his head. She leaned up and kissed his forehead. He remained still and didn't move. She grew concerned. "Say something."

He closed his eyes tightly. "Again."

She laughed. "You're mad. We don't have time to do it again. Let me find my knickers." She got up and pulled back on her knickers.

She grabbed his shirt and turned around to bring it to him. She saw him roll slowly onto his side. She ran to him and dropped to her knees. "Something is wrong. What is it? Should I get Lewis?"

"No." He grunted.

She helped him sit up. "What's wrong? You feel…..absent."

He held up his finger. "Minute." He grabbed her hands and held them tightly as he seemed to catch his breath.

After a few moments. "Making sense. I'm making sense. Can you understand me?" She could feel his fear and confusion.

"What is wrong? What happened?" Rose asked him.

He pulled on his shirt. "I'm not sure. It happened yesterday in the cupboard too." He lay back on the grass, held his head and groaned. "Damn, what a headache."

She grabbed his jeans and helped him put them on. He slowly stood up and put his hands on his hips. "Rose. I'm fine. I'm not sure what's going on. But-"

"Like hell you are fine! Why didn't you tell me this happened yesterday? That was your brain scan on the wall. Something is wrong! What is it? And don't give me this shit it's nothing. Nothing doesn't behave like that! And you can tell when something is wrong. What is it?" Her eyes flashed yellow in her anger.

He rubbed his beard and looked at her. He shook his head and took her hands in his. "Rose. I know this something I would have kept from you in the past, but please believe me when I tell you I really, truly, honestly, don't know. I'm not keeping anything from you. You know everything I do."

He rubbed the side of his head and the pain stopped.

"Why can't you tell what it is?" Rose asked him.

He thought, realizing it for the first time. "That part is….numb."

"Numb?"

He looked confused, "Could that be part of this?"

She covered her mouth and he could feel she was close to crying. He held her tightly, "Sweetheart. We'll find out what it is. Please don't worry. I'm so, so sorry I frightened you."

She looked at him. He wiped tears from her eyes. "Don't cry. We're fine."

"You're not! And you won't tell me!"

Rose walked away from.

How had they been so happy 1 minute and 34 seconds ago, and now she was walking away from him? He ran his hands though his hair and shook his head. "No."

He ran after her and took her hand. "Rose. I-"

She was crying. He could feel her fear, anger and sadness. He bit his lip and said, "Sweetheart. You have every right to be cross with me. You have every reason not to believe me. But, I honestly don't know what happened. You can feel my sincerity. It only happened yesterday after the cupboard, and just now. I promise. I don't know. I would have kept this from you before, but believe me that I want you to know everything. I need you to know everything. Sweetheart, I need help with this. Please, help me."

She smiled at him as he wiped her tears from her eyes. "Words that I'd never refuse. Especially, when they come from your lips."

He smiled at her and held her tightly. "Rose Smith. I love you more everyday."

Rose opened her eyes widely in fear. He had never liked calling her that.

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	27. Chapter 27 - Sideways Thank You

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Chapter 27 - Sideways Thank You

The Doctor walked down the hallway wearing his best, three piece suit. He had a pair of shorts and a white shirt of Tony's on his arm. His hair was sticking up in all of the right places.

"Hey, Doc'!"

He turned to see Lewis, wearing his best suit, running up to him. He smiled as he put his hand on his shoulder. "Hey. The groom! Are you ready for this?"

Lewis smiled. "I am. How is Howie? I'm hearing crazy things."

"He's going to be alright. Pete just rang me. They are watching him very closely and it's not a bad idea for us to get there today. I want to look over everything and make sure no one missed something."

Lewis nodded his head. "Let me walk with you. Taking Tony some clothes?" They continued to walk down the hall.

"Yeah. I'm going to hold him through the ceremony. He doesn't need to put weight on that leg for a bit."

Lewis nodded his head.

The Doctor stopped walking. "Yesterday, in the cupboard. Well….. it happened again. This time it was worse. I think. I'm not certain. How long was it until I could speak yesterday?"

Lewis shook his head. "I have no idea. I'm not a walking stop watch, like yourself. How bad was it?"

The Doctor bit his lip. "Bad. I couldn't sit up for a bit. Scared the hell out of Rose. Well, and me, too. What the hell do you think it going on?"

Lewis shook his head. "Did you pick up something at the hospital?"

The Doctor closed his eyes tightly. "Shit. I haven't even thought of that. What the hell have I possibility exposed everyone to? My infant son to? Fuck!"

Lewis patted his chest. "Calm down. Let's work the problem. Don't let it wind you up. That helps nothing. Let me have a think on this. What is going on after the wedding?"

"Reception. And neither one of us can get out of it."

Lewis thought as he started walking down the hallway again. "Do this. You already have a brain scan. Draw some blood and have the computers work on it while we are busy. That way it will be ready when we are finished."

The Doctor nodded his head. "That's a good idea. Is anyone else doing this?"

"I have no idea. I don't think anyone else is shagging on this ship but me and you."

The Doctor sighed. "It could be just when someone gets really excited. Not just the shagging. It hasn't happened but twice when we shagged."

Lewis looked surprised at him, "Hmm… and wow. We need to ask and see."

"Oh, I don't want to alarm everyone unless I know something is really wrong."

They walked through the doors of the med bay, then the main room and entered the hallway to the rooms for the patients. They walked into Tony's room to find Stark sitting in there with him. They were watching the football game again, together. Stark was already wearing his suit.

The Doctor and Lewis smiled at one another. Stark and Tony both jumped as a kick was saved from going in the goal.

Lewis spoke, "That was a good play. I saw it live, yesterday."

Stark stood up and smiled. "You know, after you understand the rules, this isn't that bad."

Tony laughed, "I converted him, John. For the win!"

The Doctor laughed. "Well done, Comrade. I brought you some clothes for Lewis' wedding. I'll hold you the entire time so you won't be on your leg."

Lewis teased. "Doc' is 'One' and Tony will be 'Half.' How about that?"

Stark pointed at him, "Lewis is worth Ten and a half men. Impressive."

The Doctor chuckled, "How is your leg feeling?"

Tony looked at it. "It feels really good. Cold. But good."

"I don't want you putting any weight on it yet." He told him.

Tony laughed, "Hey, I don't want to put weight on it yet. It will hurt!"

Stark patted Lewis on the shoulder. "How you feeling? I can find you an escape pod someplace if you need to make a quick exit."

Lewis rolled his eyes. "I'm good. But, thank you."

The Doctor carefully helped Tony on with his shorts. "Alright?"

Tony nodded his head, as he put on the shirt he had brought him. The Doctor sat on the side of the bed and looked at him. "Tony. Can we talk about you climbing up on the ladder?"

"Am I in trouble?"

He smiled, "No, Tony. What happened? Did you misjudge your distance?" He reached up and took the metal device off the side of Tony's forehead. Looked at it and pressed a few buttons, then reattached it to the top of Tony's knee.

Tony watched him and then looked back up at him.

"Well?" The Doctor asked.

"I don't know John. I just climbed up the ladder and slipped."

"You slipped? Your hand came off of the rail? Or did you miss the rail?"

Stark shook his head. "What does it matter?"

"There might be something else going on that I need to make sure hasn't affected Tony." He explained.

Tony thought, "John. I have no idea. I'm sorry. I just remember climbing up. Then I fell. Then Logan and Legate ran to help me."

The Doctor nodded his head. "It's important, Tony. How clear is it in your mind, now?"

Tony sighed, "It's strange. I keep seeing it over and over."

"Can I do something? It won't hurt. I'd like to see it. I can look in your mind and see what you see. It will feel strange, but I won't hurt. Do you trust me?"

Tony smiled, "How do you do that? Will you have to use a machine?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No. Just me. Are you sure it's alright?"

Tony looked at him seriously. "John. I know you would never hurt me."

He smiled, "That's right. Okay. I'm going to just put my hands on your face. Alright? Close your eyes. Think about what happened. You'll feel me when I step into your mind."

Stark and Lewis watched as the Doctor looked in Tony's head. After a few moments, both of them opened their eyes and looked at one another. The Doctor took his hands off of Tony's face.

Tony looked at him in surprise. "Okay, John. That was cool!"

The Doctor chuckled at him. "Cool, huh?"

Tony smiled at him. "What did you see?"

"Huh. That's interesting." The Doctor said as he bit his lip. "You were looking at Legate and not the bar you should have grabbed. You simply missed it. You had no sensation of touching the bar. That explains why you fell facing foreword. Interesting."

Stark crossed his arms, "This is fascinating. Is he telepathic, too?"

Tony looked up at Stark. "I'm a what?"

The Doctor kissed the top of Tony's head. "No, he's not. Thank you, Comrade."

Lewis pointed to the Doctor. "Go do what we chatted about on the way here so it will be ready when we're done."

The Doctor sighed as he took off his jacket. "Here. Hold this for me, Comrade. I'll be straight back."

Stark quickly spoke up. "I'll join you, man."

They walked down the hallway together into another room.

"What's up?" The Doctor asked him as he unbuttoned and rolled up his sleeve.

Stark looked surprised at him. "What's up with me? Or you? You look like you are about to get a shot or something."

The Doctor shook his head as he sat down and opened a drawer to a cabinet. He pulled out a needle and everything he needed to draw blood with.

Stark looked surprised. "Wow. Now that looks like stuff I'm familiar with."

"Not everything is different in space." The Doctor told him as he cleaned his own arm. He took the cover off of the needle and prepared to put it in his arm.

"Damn, man. Stop. Let me help you." Stark sat down and took over. The Doctor handed him the needle and looked surprised. After he put on some gloves, he drew the blood out of the Doctor's arm just like any doctor would have done.

"How do you know how to do this?"

Tony's full attention was on drawing the blood from him. "Ahh… long story. How many of these do you want?"

"Three." The Doctor told him.

Tony nodded his head. "Three. What's up? Feeling alright?"

"I'm having moments of….ummm…. a blank mind. Does that make sense?"

Tony glanced at him. "Huh. What causes that? A telepathic thing?"

"I'm not sure. It's happened twice now. And normally, I would know."

Tony finished up, pulled the needle of the Doctor's arm and put a cotton ball on the area. The Doctor pulled his arm up and watched Tony clean up everything.

Tony made a face. "Well, it's really not a long story. You already know most of it. My chest plate that you removed. It was made using palladium in the core. After that first year, year and a half maybe, it started leaking into my blood stream. I could feel it, after about 18 months, it might had always done it and I just noticed I then. I got online and found out how to draw blood on myself so I could look at it under a microscope and see how much it was in my blood stream. I ended up making a palladium checker to monitor the levels in my bloodstream. It was already up in the 60s when I finally spoke to you about it. 72% the day of the surgery."

The Doctor shook his head. "Palladium in the blood stream. That explains why I found that. I guessed it was something to do with the arc, but I didn't realize you had been keeping such a close eye on it."

"I needed something that would be a heavy enough element to continue running. It's the same thing with the arc we put at your place. Palladium. Wave of the future. Nearly the death of Stark."

The Doctor smiled, "Have you checked your levels lately? The medicine I put you on should have washed that out by now."

"It's been gone for days. It slowly decreased. I should have told you, but….I … hell I don't know why I didn't." Tony told him as he opened a cabinet, took out a bandaid and put it on the Doctor's arm.

"I know why you didn't. The same reason I keep things to myself. It makes you feel in control of something."

Stark shook his head. "I can't say that was it. I had prepared myself to die. I had everything in order. My company….I was about to hand it off to someone. My assets, everything! Rhodey was gone. I couldn't stop thinking about the fact that he hadn't came back to complain about it. And believe me, he could find something to complain about with everything. So, it couldn't be too bad. I was ready. Then, you fall out of the damn sky, give me a new heart and life is back to normal. As if nothing ever happened."

The Doctor rolled his shirt down and rebuttoned it as he looked at Tony. Then he realized what he was on about. He chuckled. "Let me see it. It must have really done a hell of a good job to get you this wound up."

Stark turned around. "See! You speak my language! Right! Look at this shit." Stark took off his jacket and handed it to the Doctor. He pulled his oxford out of his trousers and t-shirt and pulled them up to expose his chest.

It looked as if nothing had ever happened. The Doctor nodded his head. "Brilliant! That looks really good."

Stark rubbed his chest. "It still tingles. What is that?"

"Hair growing back. It will tingle for a while. You only have to apply it once. Did you put it anywhere else?"

"I had a scar, under my arm from where the original suit cut me and I had to have stitches. I also used it on my forehead. I had a scar from a fight I was in when I was a teenager. But, that isn't the craziest thing about it. Guess what I did."

The Doctor shook his head. "I couldn't imagine."

Stark put himself back together and the Doctor handed him back his jacket. "I had a tattoo. I wanted to have it removed for years. I knew they would find out about my chest, so I just didn't do anything about it. I put this shit on the tattoo and it was gone when I checked a bit ago. Is that supposed to happen with your weird alien ass goo?"

The seriousness of the discussion had made the Doctor uncomfortable until he heard those words. He doubled over laughing hysterically.

Stark looked surprised at him, "What?"

The Doctor was laughing so hard he barely speak. "That's the funniest shit I've ever heard. Ass goo?"

Stark rolled his eyes, and then laughed with him. "For the record, I wasn't on my ass."

The Doctor continued to laugh, "For the record, I didn't pull it out of my ass! Oh wow. Wouldn't that be nice to be able to pull Cicatrix Instaurab put out of my ass? Ass goo? That's a hell of lot easier to say than Cicatrix Instaurab. I might start calling it that."

Stark leaned on the cabinet and shook his head. "This was sideways, man. I am trying to say thank you. I don't look like Frankenstein's monster any longer. If I can get this shit straightened out with Pepper, I can get her opinion on it."

The Doctor wiped tears from his eyes. "This was the best thank you. Cheers, mate."

They shook hands and started back to Tony's room. The Doctor put his arm on Stark's shoulder, "I suppose I should put some ass goo on my brother's leg." Then he started laughing hysterically again.

Stark threw up his hands. "You are such a damn child."

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	28. Chapter 28 – A Wedding and an Answer

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Chapter 28 – A Wedding and an Answer

The wedding took place in the top observation deck of the _Asclepius._ Plentitude could be seen rotating overhead as the ship had already moved into the planetary, departure position. Other ships could be seen through the transparent walls and ceilings of the room, floating in space. It was a stunning view.

So many people were taking part in the wedding that only The Queen, Princess Ashena, Rose and the children were left to witness it. The Royal Quauhtin and some soldiers had also came over for the event. They all sat as the men that Lewis had picked at his Ten came walking in the door. The Doctor brought in Tony Tyler, with his foot and leg all wrapped up in a bandage. He carried him on his hip, as all of the men took their places next to King Clagl. The men wore their best suits, while the King wore his white robes trimmed in gold.

After the Ten had assembled themselves to stand flanking the King, Clagl shouted, "Let it begin!"

Clagl, walked down the line, inspecting the ten men who stood with him. He started with the Doctor. They bowed to one another. The Doctor found it a bit difficult since he was holding Tony Tyler. The King laughed as he patted Tony on the head and smiled. The King's deep, booming voice loudly declared, "One!"

Next, the King walked to Lance and they bowed to one another. "Two!"

Three was now Licis. The King walked to stand in front of him and they bowed to one another. The King smiled and embraced Licis and laughed. "My dear friend, Licis, is Three!"

Four was Luce, which also made the King smile as he yelled, "Four!"

Polotious was "Five", Gobbo was approved as "Six", Legate served as "Seven", Jack as "Eight", and Stark as "Nine."

The King stopped at Logan, who stood as "Ten." He crossed his arms and looked at him. "This is a very young man. Are you sure you are fit for this task, sir?"

Logan smiled back at the King. "Your majesty. I'm of age. Lewis has asked for my help, and I will always come to his, or Arla's aid, sir."

The King nodded approvingly. "This man will serve as TEN!"

Lance leaned over and whispered to the Doctor. "Logan just became a man in my eyes. Damn."

The Doctor smiled proudly at him. "Yeah."

Lewis and Arla walked in, arm in arm, with large smiles on both of their faces. Arla looked around the room in complete awe.

The Doctor looked back at Rose, who was smiling at him.

 _'You are so handsome. Is Tony not very heavy?'_ Rose asked him.

 _'He's fine. If I put him down, he's going to try to walk on it.'_ He told her.

 _'Oh, he won't-'_

 _'Oh, he will. I've met this child. He's just like you. I think you might be related.'_ He teased her as he smiled.

She bit her lip and laughed. _'You're probably right.'_

Lewis and Arla stood in front of King Clagl. He smiled at the pair of them and spoke in his deep, booming voice. "Dearest family, friends, and acquaintances. This morning, we will witness the most excellent of promises that two can make to one another."

"From the beginning of records, the Quauhtin have served the galaxy. Royal and influential families all over the universe have been protected by this most honored profession, from a most noble of people. Trained from the time they can walk, a Quauhtin warrior is said to be worth ten regular men. In keeping with tradition, Lewis has assembled his Ten, who will step in to care for this woman and their family if the need should ever arise. It is each one of these men's solemn oath."

"Arla, as you look at these Ten that your Lewis has gathered for you, you should feel pride in the fact that he is such a man of integrity to gather such a dignified group."

Arla smiled back at Lewis.

The King continued, "Now, we shall exchange the promise of marriage to one another. Please face one another."

Lewis and Arla turned to face one another and took one another's hands. King Clagl helped Arla through the words of the promise, then it was Lewis' turn to repeat the words.

"You, Arla, are what burns brightest in my soul. You are the reason I draw each breath, the reason my heart beats, the reason my skin can feel. You are the one that I choose to be mine. To live to serve. To share my life with. To protect what is most dear to me, your love. Please accept this as my promise."

The Doctor looked back at Rose, who was wiping tears from her eyes.

The King smiled, "Wonderful! Now, as per Earth's traditions, they will exchange a ring."

Lewis and Arla both put rings on the other one's fingers. When they had finished, they both looked up at the King. He smiled at them both.

"I declare this promise has been made! Please, Lewis, thank your bride for us both."

Lewis and Arla kissed, as everyone cheered.

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They were well underway back to Earth. Princess Ashena had said goodbye to her parents. Licio had agreed to stay with her. The Quauhtin, Mortimer and Talbot, had also joined them to serve the Tyler family. Luce had returned with the King and the Queen stating he simply had to return to work, but would come visit Earth soon, now that all three of his brothers were staying there.

They all danced and celebrated in the upper observation deck for several hours. Timon and Poltious returned to the main control room to pilot the ship back to Earth. Genie and Jacob danced together and laughed. Jack took Tony Tyler from the Doctor so he could dance with Rose. After a couple of dances, he decided that his tests where probably finished and asked Rose to join him to check them.

Rose took Sam in her arms and they excused themselves. As they arrived in the hallway, he stopped her and said. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. But you are absolutely, stunning."

Rose was in a blue, long sleeve dress that had sheer mesh that covered the sleeves, decolletage, and a sexy back panel. The textured blue knit sculpted a subtle sweetheart silhouette on a darted bodice, before flaring out at a flirtatiously full skirt. She smiled at him as he kissed her quickly.

She looked concerned at him. "You feel….."

"Ill. I'm not feeling well at all." He told her as they started back down the hall together.

"Can you still not tell what's wrong?" She asked as they got to the lift.

He shook his head and sighed. "No. It's odd. It's just….. numb. That sense. I don't know. I did some tests and the computer has been running them while we were doing this. Maybe we'll get some answers."

She nodded as the lift doors opened and they stepped inside. She noticed as soon as they were in the well lit lift. "Wow. You are really pale."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Ah. It's probably the suit. It's making my color look bad."

"No, it's not. You've worn that color a lot. You are very pale."

The lift dinged. She held Sam close as the Doctor wrapped his hand around her waist. He could feel her worry.

They walked down the hall to the med bay. As soon as they walked in, the Doctor rubbed his face. "Friday. I'm back. Are you finished?"

Friday spoke, "Just finishing up now."

Rose walked over to the food replicator and asked for a bottle for Sam. The Doctor didn't notice and sat down in a chair and sighed. Rose could feel his worry and apprehension. The screen above where he sat printed out all sorts of information, some lines in green, others in red.

Friday spoke after a few minutes. "There are several alerts as you can see on the screen, Captain One."

"Change the results to 'manual'. My species doesn't exist in this database." He told Friday as Rose came back over and sat down in a chair near him to feed Sam. He put on his glasses and looked at the results. Rose watched him as she felt his mood change. He took off his glasses and threw them on the desk. "Oh, fucking hell!" He exclaimed.

Rose watched as he covered his face and leaned back. He seemed to be laughing. "What is it?" She asked him.

He laughed as he pointed at the screen. "This shows how damn thick I am. Thick! Wow. I can't believe that."

He rubbed his face as he relaxed. "Oh, Rose. You married an idiot. I'm so sorry to have frightened you so badly. You are never going to believe this."

She could feel his relief and amusement. "What is it?"

He looked at her, "Well, it's not a virus. It's not contagious. It's something completely stupid that I have done."

"Which is?" Rose asked him.

He looked back at her and pressed his teeth together tightly. "Oh, damn. Do I really have to -"

The look on her face told him the answer to that question. He nodded his head and held out his hands. "Right. Okay. From the top. I'm an idiot."

"We've established that, next…." Rose told him.

"My blood sugar has bombed out. I've not been eating much in the past few weeks. Been busy and all." He shrugged it off.

"No." Rose insisted. "Low blood sugar won't just do that. My granddad had problems with that and I know what that looks like. What else is it?"

"Maybe I should hold Sam. Keep me from getting punched." He told her.

She looked down at Sam, then back up at him. "I don't think that would help. What is going on?"

He sighed, "I've not been eating much, at all. I've had maybe three chips in the past 26 hours and 14 minutes. But, I have been drinking. A lot. A whole lot."

"So, what is this?" Rose asked him.

"Alcohol poisoning. I just need to eat something and not drink any alcohol for a while. I didn't realize I had so much since we've been out here." He said.

She looked confused at him. "Hang on a bit. I want to talk about this some more. Let me put him down. Get us something for lunch. Whatever you want. I don't mind."

Sam had fallen asleep in her arms. She walked over, lay him in the cot, then pulled it back over to where they sat.

The Doctor brought a tray over with two bowls of Irish stew, bread and some water on the desk. He sat down and put her bowl in front of her. "Be careful. It's a bit warm."

Rose didn't say anything, but tucked into the stew.

He shook his head, "You are going to yell at me about this Rose. I know you are. Just let me eat and get everything back to normal first."

Rose shook her head, "I'm not going to yell at you."

He looked surprised at her. "You're not?"

She looked up at him as she blew her stew. "No. We're just going to talk about it."

He closed his eyes tightly. He mumbled. "Oh, that's not good."

They sat in silence as they ate their stew. After she noticed he was finished, she told him to go get another bowl. Her calmness over the entire situation made him worry about what she was going to say. But, he agreed to have another bowl. He also brought them both a cup of tea back, too.

She nibbled on the bread and sipped her tea, as she waited for him to finish.

He wiped his mouth and tossed his napkin on the table. He looked up at her uncertainty. She watched Sam sleep while she sipped her tea.

He couldn't take it any longer. "Alright. Let me have it. I deserve it."

Rose held up her finger. "One minute. How do you feel?"

He smiled as he sat down his tea. "Much better. Blood sugars, fine. Livers able to push out the remainder of the alcohol. I can sense everything again. My head is clear."

Rose looked at him and nodded her head. "Why didn't you notice you couldn't feel what was going on in your body? That seems strange to me."

He thought for a bit and sighed. "Just busy I suppose. I hadn't realized I wasn't able to feel that."

"Why did you stop being able to feel it?"

"Alcohol poisoning looks different for me than it would for you. There were other signs, now which I realize what was going on, that I should have seen. The neurological problems spiked when I got very excited. I should have passed out, but…"

"But, what?" She asked as she sipped her tea.

He crossed his arms as he sat back. "Do you really want to know? You won't like it."

"I'm not the one answering questions here. You are. Keep talking. Why didn't you pass out?"

He closed his eyes and sighed. He knew she didn't want to hear what he was going to say. "You did something. It's the only thing that kept me from passing out. I returned to myself in each instance. And I shouldn't have. I should have spotted this earlier."

She shook her head. "I didn't do anythi-"

"I saw your eyes flash. Yellow. Just like they did when the Bad Wolf had taken over-"

"We are not talking about that." Rose demanded.

He bit his lip as he tapped the tabletop. "Not talking about that. Okay. Rose. We're going to have to have a conversation about this at some point. There's a lot to that-"

She pointed her finger at him forcefully. "Stop. We are not talking about that. We are talking about you. Stop deflecting. I know your game."

He ran his hand through his hair and groaned. "I'm not deflecting, Ros-"

She pointed at him again. "I mean it!"

He propped his head up on his fist and looked at her. "Alright. We're talking about me. What else do we need to say?"

"Are you happy?" Rose asked him.

"Of course I am, sweetheart. Happier than I've ever been. You know that." He was surprised at the question.

"When you drink, is it a social thing? Is it to relax?" Rose asked him.

He sighed as he kept his head propped up on his fist. "Rose, I drank before I came here. This isn't a big deal. I just have been too busy and forgot to eat."

"You said you ate chips. The night before, you went to dinner with the guys. What did you eat then?"

"Not really a lot. A few bits and bobs."

"How many drinks at dinner did you have?"

"I was driving. I had one." He held up his finger. "Just one. Then I drank water the rest of the time we were there."

"What did you do when you came back to the ship after that?"

"We came back to the ship and worked on Tony's suit."

"How much did you drink when you were working on the suit?"

He propped his head on his hand again. "We had a few. It wasn't bad."

"A few is how many?"

He shook his head. "I'm not sure. I'm not going to lie to you and try to cook up a number. I see where you are going with this. Rose, it's just been since we've been out here."

She shook her head and spoke very calmly to him. "It hasn't and you know it. It's been since you got here. Since before we married. You said you drank because it numbed the pain when you were sick. Then, you drank with Dad and Howie. It became a social thing. Then, I got hurt. I feel like you really went into the tank after that."

She could feel how uncomfortable he was. He crossed his arms. "I don't want to talk about this."

She looked at him. "I'm not going to yell at you, but we are going to talk about this. We're getting this sorted."

He rose his hand towards the door. "We have a reception to get back-"

"They will continue without us. Sam is sleeping. This is getting sorted."

He sighed and rolled his eyes. "We don't have to talk about this. I know what you are saying."

"I'm sorry, but you don't know what I'm saying because I have not said it yet. I feel that you have been using this as a way to relax from the stress you have found yourself in. You are dealing with things that would be hard for anyone. What, with me getting hurt. Sam. Being a father. Losing Sam, which you won't talk about. Sweetheart. You lost so much. I know somewhat how you must feel because I lost that world, too. I dealt with the depression of it in anger, and then I refocused my attention on getting back. To you. I love you, and you have asked for my help. I'm going to help you."

He shook his head, not looking at her. "I'm really alright."

"You really aren't. You have all of these things you are doing. Why? To occupy your mind and keep you busy. Keep you from mourning the loss of your world, your TARDIS, your friend, Sam. You have always managed to put yourself in a high stress situation. You love it. I know you do. And I do, too. I know that's the reason you are working with Torchwood, dealing with this terrorism, which I know I don't know half of the stuff that happened, running this company with Dad, being a chief physician, and everything else."

He rubbed his face and shook his head. "No. I'm just taking care of everyone-"

"But, not taking care of yourself. You've done this for months. You wouldn't sleep. Frightened that I might stop breathing, or something would happen with Sam. And that was your downtime. You have made yourself so busy that you started drinking a bit more everyday to numb the worry of what might happen, and to numb what already has."

"What are you saying?" he asked her.

"I'm saying that you need to find another way to handle your stress. The road you are on in this moment, will not end well. I'm not going to tell you to stop, but I will if I think I need to. But, I am asking you to take a break from it. Maybe return to it in several weeks, or months, and have dramatically less. You need to take a break from drinking anyway to heal yourself from this."

He took a deep breath as he looked away and thought. Rose finished her tea and sat it back on the table. She looked over and Sam, who was still sleeping and smiled.

After a few moments, he uncomfortability tapped the table again with his finger tips. He mumbled, "Take a break from it. With everything going on, you ask me to take a break."

"Just from the drinking, nothing else. Although, that does bring up a good point. Maybe you need a holiday."

She felt his annoyance. "Phhh… we're on holiday! We're coming back early from it!"

"No, this was you working. From the time you have stepped off the transport pad, you have been working. Whether with Logan, the hospital, Tony or Lewis. Something has been going on. You and I are going on a holiday when we return and Howie is sorted out. I'm leaving Mum with the children."

He looked surprised at her. "Even Sam?"

"I've been feeding him from a bottle for the past few days. I'm sorry, but I'm done breastfeeding. I want my body back. You've been so busy you hadn't even noticed you had gotten your boobs back."

His face spread into a grin. He quickly rubbed his face. "I have been distracted. Damn. I just thought…"

"I'm not sure if I want you to finish that sentence." Rose teased him.

"You're right. No, I don't." He laughed. "You're right, Rose. This will be very hard, but you are right. I've seen this happen to so many people, and I can see what you are saying. I don't feel like this is that bad, but that's what they all said, too."

She smiled at him. "A very mature attitude to have about it."

He became serious, "There's no need to insult me."

She laughed as she walked over and sat in his lap. He kissed her as he ran his hands up her dress. She ran her fingers through the back of his hair.

She smiled at him. "You are recovering, so don't get any funny ideas. I don't want your brain scrambled again."

He groaned. "Rose, I'm fine. My endorphins are-"

She patted his chest. "That's so strange. I'm glad you can tell again though."

He smiled like a loon at her, and then kissed her quickly. "You, Rose, are what burns brightest in my soul. You are the reason I draw each breath, the reason my hearts beat, the reason my skin can feel. You are the one that I choose to be mine. To live to serve. To share my life with. To protect what is most dear to me, your love. Please accept this as my promise."

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	29. Chapter 29 – The After Party

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Chapter 29 – The After Party

The Doctor returned to the Top Observation Area just as a song was ending. He whistled loudly to get everyone's attention. "Everyone! An announcement. Part Two of the celebration begins in twelve minutes. Everyone go put on your football gear and meet me in the main cargo hold."

Jack handed Tony Tyler back to the Doctor with a smile. "Brilliant! I wondered if you were going to go through with this."

Lewis looked surprised. "What are you on about? There's not a pitch anywhere on this….." He trailed off.

The Doctor smiled, "We had planned to open with your bachelor party. I hope you'll enjoy a reception game instead."

Lewis laughed in disbelief. "That's awesome! Hell yeah! Arla, you should play with us."

Arla smiled, "I would love to!"

Everyone cheered as they ran out of the room.

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Rose walked into the bigger on the inside room that contained the football pitch, carrying Sam. The speakers were blasting the song, 'I Wanna Rock' by Twisted Sister. Everyone was on the field kicking a ball around. Lots of laughter could be heard, but none more than the childrens' who were all riding their floating horses around the pitch. Including Tony Tyler.

Rose stood and watched as the Doctor shot the ball towards the goal, only for it to be saved by Legate. Jack ran up next to him. "He's like his father. Good luck scoring on him!"

"I'm determined." He told Jack as he ran back.

Over the speakers came Stark's voice. "Rose Tyler. Please come to the Head Master's office."

Everyone on the pitch turned to her and said, "Wooooo."

Arla took advantage of the distraction and shot the ball into the goal past Legate.

"Yes!" She cheered as Lewis ran up and celebrated with her.

Legate pointed at her. "Dirty trick, Arla. Well, hell I would have done the same thing. It counts! Carry on!"

Rose walked into the glass booth. As she closed the door, the volume of the music decreased dramatically.

"There. I imagine that's better for Shorty." Stark said as he pulled back a chair for her to sit in. He was still wearing his suit, but had taken off the jacket and hung it on the back of the chair and had loosened his tie.

"You're not playing?" Rose asked as she sat down holding Sam.

"Nah. It's not my thing. I'm managing the music. If it was left up to the Good Doctor, we'd only be allowed to listen to The White Stripes."

"Or the Gorillaz. He likes those, too." Rose laughed.

Stark laughed as he nodded his head, "Yeah, they are pretty good. Great idea."

He looked down at his phone and picked out a song, then clicked the play button. 'DARE' started to play. Tony touched the microphone. "That's from Rose, boys."

Rose smiled at him as he looked back at her.

Stark asked, "Baby napped for a while?"

Rose smiled. "Yes. Gave me and his Dad time to talk."

"Talk? That's what you are calling it?" he teased.

Rose rolled her eyes. "Yes, talked. Geez. You know he doesn't like to talk about that stuff."

Stark thought about what the Doctor had said last night when he had been so drunk. "Yeah, you're right, Rose. He doesn't talk about that. Fort Knox, that man. Black Hole of information."

They watched the footballers for a few minutes. Rose asked him. "So, did you like Plentitude?"

He smiled as he looked back at her. "I really did. And I bet you can guess the best part."

She smiled, "Probably the same as my favorite part, no one knew who I was."

"Yes! Exactly! I could walk around and no one stopped me to ask, 'Hey, are you Tony Stark'? That was the best! Taking a vacation from being me."

Rose giggled, "Was it always that way for you?"

He shook his head, "I've never known a time they didn't know me. Even when I was a child, I was always recognized."

Rose nodded her head. "What do you say when people recognize you back home?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "Sometimes, I deny it. It makes them go away. Others want to argue with you that you are in fact that person. I suppose it could be worse. They could think I'm someone else."

"Well, that's true. Can I ask you something?" Rose said.

"Certainly!"

"Why didn't Pepper come?" Rose asked.

Tony looked surprised as he looked back out to the pitch and rubbed his beard. "Wow. John really is a Black Hole of information. I'm surprised he didn't at least tell you."

"Didn't tell me what?"

"She decided she needed a break from me. Can't blame the woman, really." He said as he smiled back her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"Ah, it's not a big deal. It was mostly my fault. Well, it was all my fault. I can admit it."

Rose nodded her head. "Still. It sucks."

"There's other women." Stark told her.

"So, you have talked to him about it?" Rose asked.

"Who, John? He told me to send her flowers, or something 'John-like.' Doesn't that sound like something he would do?" Stark asked.

Rose smiled, "Yes, it does. You know once, he filled up our entire bedroom with roses. You couldn't even walk."

Stark chuckled, "That does sound like him."

Rose could feel Stark's emotions as he looked out on the pitch at his new friends.

"What are you thinking about?" Rose asked him softly.

"Rhodey would have loved this. Being around all of these aliens would have wigged him out at first, but he would have loved it. He'd be right down there in the middle of all of that. And I'm pretty sure he would have already punched Jack out."

Rose laughed, "Probably so. How do you think he would have gotten along with the Doctor?"

Stark smiled, "Oh, I don't know. I imagine they would have argued a lot. Rhodey being a military man, quick to shoot something and let someone else sort it out. I don't think that would have gone over well at all with John."

"One of his best friends was a career soldier."

"Right, a Brigadier. He's talked about him. Hell, maybe they would have gotten along."

Rose giggled as they looked back on the pitch.

Stark asked, "Is John alright?"

Rose nodded, "Yeah, it turned out to be something simple. Thank you for helping him. He said you helped him draw some blood-"

"Oh, he was weird about it, too. We had to destroy everything. He said he would even incinerate the blood after the tests were done. No biological trace. Is there something to that? I didn't ask. He doesn't think I'm _Howard_ Stark, does he?"

Rose smiled at him. "I don't even know what that means."

Stark looked back the pitch. "That's probably better. Here we need to pick another song. What should we play for them?"

Rose looked at his phone, "That one. That's Lewis' favorite." Rose pressed the song and 'Chelsea Dagger' by the Fratellis began to play. Lewis cheered.

They both laughed at them. Then a football hit the window where they were sitting. They looked out on the pitch. The Doctor was pointing at Stark. "I see you in there with my lady! She can handle herself, but don't make me come up there."

Rose rolled her eyes at him.

Stark touched the mic. "She's turned me down enough, man. Worry about your game, not mine."

Jack took advantage of the Doctor's distraction and kicked the ball really hard towards his back. His force field activated and it bounced off. He turned around and lifted his hands out. "Really?"

Jack was laughing hysterically. "I couldn't help myself. I knew you had that bracelet on."

Stark pointed at Jack. "He says you turned him down, too."

Rose smiled back at him. "I did dance with him."

"Well, that's more than you ever did with me." He smiled. "But, now that I've been able to spend some time with why, I can say I understand. He's…"

"Mad?"

"Interesting. Is even half of the shit he tells me, true?" Stark asked.

Rose laughed, "I have no idea what he tells you, but I have those same thoughts."

"Okay. For example. He told me he met the Queen Elizabeth the First. Is that true? Wasn't that one of the last Queens of England?"

Rose giggled. "Did he tell you that when he had been drinking?"

"So, it's not true. I didn't think it was."

"No, it is! As much as he has blushed about it. That's where that entire bet came from with Dad and Howie."

Stark realized there was a lot more to that conversation that he knew. He turned to her and smiled. "Did you put money against your beloved on that? What was your bet?"

Rose looked down at Sam. Distracted, she shook her head. "No. I've honestly forgot my number. He led us on for months about that though. He finally confessed to me that he had no idea how many he had slept with because of the way the time lines were, they were not part of the royal family at the time, and he wasn't sure if the bet was limited only to members of the British Royal Family."

Stark cleared his throat to stop himself from laughing in surprise. He was determined not to tell Rose that this was all new information to him. "Jesus. Wow. Well, I can see his point. Damn."

"I'm surprised he told you about that." Rose told him.

Stark shrugged his shoulders, "Ah. You know how it is. Sometimes, things just come out. See, this is my question. He's a Time Lord. Is that what they are called, or is he part of a Royal Family?"

"That's what they are called." Rose said, then realized. "Well, you know, I'm not certain. He's never said. He refuses to talk about that."

"Witness protection program, huh? Move to an alien planet, change your name, go on television and lie about it?" Stark teased.

Just then the door opened. Stark and Rose jumped at the sound. The Doctor stood in the doorway. "What? Are you two at tea? What happened to the music?"

Stark leaned back in the chair and laughed at him. Rose took the phone from his hands and turned on Van Halen's song, "Ain't Talking About Love."

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	30. Chapter 30 - Howie

_I get so many PMs about Howie. I'm thinking about starting him a fan club. HA!_

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Chapter 30 - Howie

It was evening. The private hospital waiting room seemed to completely full with White House aides, Senators, CIA, Secret Servicemen, and a whole host of people in suits.

The Doctor walked in with Lance and Legate to each side of him. They were all dressed in suits. As he got into the doorway, they all looked around. Legate spotted him. "There he is. Just over there."

They walked over to where Pete sat with his head propped on the wall, asleep. Jackie Tyler was using a tablet and didn't notice they had walked in. Shakes stood up and greeted them. "6:45 pm. You made good time!"

They all shook hands.

The Doctor looked at Shakes' legs. "I was told you were injured."

"Neh. It was but a scratch. I'm fine." Shakes assured them.

Jackie looked up to see who Shakes was talking to. She gasped and stood up quickly to embrace him. Legate and Lance laughed at his reaction. He threw his arms out to the side. "Ah! Jackie! Ah! Geez!"

Jackie fussed at him. "Oh please. Have you eaten all of that jam?"

He smiled at her. "No. I have four more jars. Thank you."

Jackie smiled at him and shook her head.

His voice woke up Pete. He smiled and stood up. He shook his hand and put his arm around his shoulder. "Welcome back, son. How is he?"

"He was riding a horse when I left. Jackie, Legate will take you up to see him. I'm sure you're anxious to make sure he's alright. I still don't want him to walk on it for a bit, but he'll be fine."

Jackie nodded her head. "Rose is with him?"

"He's got about ten people with him at the moment. Rose will introduce you to whomever you don't know. Genie is excited for Gran to see their new play system. I might have gotten a bit out of control picking out something for them."

Lance chuckled. "Oh, but it's great!"

Legate held out his arm for Jackie to take. "Ma'am. May I escort you?"

Jackie smiled and gathered her things together. After she put everything back in her purse, she and kissed the Doctor on the cheek. "Pete told me what happened. Thank you."

He smiled, "He's fine, Jackie. Go see him."

Jackie took Legate's arm and they walked out of the room. No doubt to find a place more private to transport back up to the ship.

The Doctor turned to Pete. "So, how are things here? Dr. Smith has been keeping me informed. Last I heard they were thinking about doing a surgery?"

Pete nodded his head. "Yes. They've had him on some medicine and have been watching how he responds."

The Doctor shook his head and grumbled. "Stupid medicine in his time period."

Pete smiled, "I knew you would say something like that. Caroline is back with him now. They only are allowing two at a time, so I'll take you back in a bit. I'll warn you, he's loopy as hell."

The Doctor smiled, "Oh, I bet he makes very little sense then. I'll need you to translate for me for sure."

Pete laughed, "I'll do the best I can, son. But, he is even putting me to the test here. Jesus."

A man walked over to them. He wore a suit, and had grey hair that he combed back. He looked exhausted. "Excuse me. You're Doctor Johnathon Smith, right?"

The Doctor nodded at him. "I am."

The man shook his hand. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Miles Richfield, the President's Chief of Staff. I've heard a lot about Howie's 'Wheel Horse'. He thinks a lot of you. He rarely mentions Pete without speaking about you, too."

"Oh, I wouldn't believe half of what Howie says about me." The Doctor laughed.

Miles laughed. "Oh, I've known Howie a long time. Not as long as Pete, but for a long time. I know what you are saying."

They all laughed as Caroline walked back into the room with another man in a suit who looked very official. Her face lit up as she walked over to the Doctor very quickly and embraced him. "I'm so glad you came. How is Jacob?"

He smiled at her as he held her hands. "Don't worry about Jacob. He's safe. He's having a great time. I'll keep up with him for you for as long as you need."

Caroline smiled, "I know he is safer with you than anyone. Thank you. Howie has been asking about you. He's awake if you and Pete want to go see him."

The Doctor nodded as he leaned in and kissed Caroline on the cheek.

Lance and Summus walked with them down the hall to the hospital room. They stood outside as Pete and The Doctor walked in. Howie smiled as he saw them. "Hell! He did make it! You really came across the lots. How is my pie eater?"

The Doctor walked over to the side of the bed and smiled, "Jacob is just fine. Don't worry about him."

"Ah, hell. I never worry about him when he's with the Space Desperado. They all thought I was ready to turn in my chips last night when Pete called 'cha. Even swore in my Vice. He's sitting in high cotton I'm sure today. He's a good man, though. Not like some of others in the necktie party. But, I'm peskily sorry we called you back so soon. Pete just can't play a lone hand on stuff."

The Doctor chuckled as he shook his head. "They must have you on some good stuff, Howie. How are you feeling?"

"All played out. I'd pitch a fit if I thought it would help my predicament any. But, it's not all bad. Some of these nurses are pretty easy on the eyes."

Pete laughed, "Howie. They're already talking about reelections. You'll have to behave yourself."

The Doctor crossed his arms. "See, I was reading about that. Elections here are different. You are elected every _seven years_? Howie? Do you want to do this another seven years?"

Howie waved his hand, "Ah. Caroline says I'm plumb crazy. But, my work here isn't finished yet."

"How can a President serve for seven years, then want to do it for another seven?" The Doctor asked.

Howie spoke, "Others have done it. You can always resign if you don't want to do it anymore. Then your Vice takes over and they have a special election to elect another Vice."

Pete nodded his head. "Yeah, Howie ran on the platform that he wouldn't resign. He isn't a quitter. So many have resigned before their first seven years are even up."

The Doctor was confused, "But, why seven years? Has it always been this way?"

Howie rolled his eyes. "Of course it has. President Washington won the first election and John Adams came in second. So, they made him the Vice President. That's what happened first."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Well, yeah. That's the same. But, didn't the Twelfth Amendment start the elections and the Electoral College?"

Howie shook his head. "You have been reading from the wrong history book. The Twelfth Amendment states that the President will be selected by the popular vote, and Vice President selected by the runner up. We serve seven years because it's a Holy number or some shit like that. I can't remember why. You can serve as many terms as you like, but it's a gentleman's agreement that we only serve two."

"How can you make sure everyone votes? This is just strange to me."

Pete smiled at him. "Same as in Britain now. You check the box when you file your taxes. One vote per citizen."

The Doctor nodded his head and smiled. "Now that is clever. Wow. That explains why there have been different Presidents through the years."

Pete laughed. "Didn't know I was going to get a history lesson today."

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I knew if I asked him about something to do with law, he would clear up. I needed to know how clear headed he was. It was part of my evil plan, Howie."

Howie looked at him. "Oh, well. At least he ponies up his pot shot."

Pete crossed his arms and laughed. "And just like that, he's gone cowboy again. Howie, you nutter."

The Doctor looked questionability at Pete.

Pete looked back at him and shook his head. "I don't know. I think it was a good thing."

Howie lay back and sighed. "Oh, I'm tired. So, pray tell. Pop your corn already. Can you do anything? Or do they need to whittle on me?"

The Doctor laughed at Howie. "I think I understood that." He walked over to the chart and flipped the pages quickly. He nodded his head.

"Right. Well, I do have one thing that defiantly help. You are sick because you have a few clots that they know about, but what's scary is they have only looked in a few places. There is probably more in other places throughout your body."

Howie shook his head. "So, you're going to give me the long face?"

"No. I'm going to give you an injection. It will dissolve the clots. I'll need to give you another one tomorrow afternoon, but you should be alright. Provided you start flossing, twice a day. That's what causes this."

Pete looked surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah. Spoilers. They don't figure that out for about fifty more years." He told them as he pulled a box out of his pocket. He held it up to Howie's neck and pressed the button. The familiar hiss from it seemed to make Howie and Pete both relax.

Pete held his friend's hand and smiled.

The Doctor told him. "You are going to be alright, Howie. Dr. Smith and I have already chatted about this and he knows what I've done. That's the reason he's been holding off on doing any sort of surgery."

Pete chuckled, "Brilliant, son! How did you manage that?"

"I told him it was an experimental thing I was working on. I assured him that Caroline had approved it."

Howie relaxed in the bed. "Oh, she'll help you keep your nose clean. Or I will. I'm not completely out of the door over at the House, yet. No matter what those blood suckers think."

The Doctor smiled at him. "Sounds like what a friend of mine calls the press."

Howie pointed at him. "Them too! Never have cared for a damn, nothing to nobody, babble mouths telling these whoppers. They are all full of piss and vinegar. Well, they can just kiss my-"

"Okay, Howie. We get the picture." Pete laughed at him. "I think he's fine."

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx


	31. Chapter 31 - A Dead Alien

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx

Chapter 31 - A Dead Alien

The Doctor stayed with Howie and Pete for about thirty minutes. By the time they left, Howie was reassuring them that he felt better, but just needed to sleep. According to him, "They treated me like a damn pincushion all night and I just need to get some shut eye!"

The Doctor and Pete returned to Caroline. Adriano stood with her, as many aides in the waiting room surrounded her. Howie's Chief of Staff, Miles Richfield, also stood next to her.

She turned to greet them as they approached her. "I'm so glad you both were able to see him. Thank you for coming."

The Doctor took Caroline's hand. "I'm going to take Pete to see the boys. We'll leave Adriano here with you. Just let him know if you need either one of us. We'll return immediately."

Caroline nodded her head. "I understand."

Pete smiled at her. "Caroline. You need to get some rest. I'll return to get you tonight-"

Caroline was already shaking her head. "You just keep an eye on my son. Don't worry about me. I'm not going to leave."

Miles rubbed her shoulder. "Mrs. Shepherd. It isn't a bad idea. You need your rest."

She looked at Miles and smiled. "I don't need to be handled, Miles. Thank you."

With an air of, "Well that settled that." Pete whistled impressively. "Texas women. Wow."

Caroline raised her eyebrows at Pete. "You'd better believe it, honey."

The Doctor laughed at her. He leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Caroline. Don't hesitate if you need us."

She nodded her head. "I'll be fine. Go on."

Pete kissed her cheek and they left the room with Shakes and Lance.

They walked down the hallway and stepped into the lift. As the doors closed on the lift, Pete's phone rang. He groaned as he held up a finger to tell them to wait a bit on transporting them to the ship.

Lance held the button to keep the lift doors from opening.

"Hey, Jake. I have you on speaker. What is it?" Pete asked him.

"Are you in a secure location?" Jake asked.

Pete smiled, "As secure as I can get at the moment. You can speak freely. What is it?"

Jake sighed, "We have a dead alien over at the resort. It was just reported."

Pete looked up at the Doctor. "And just like that, Welcome Home Son."

"How do they always know?" He asked.

Jake sounded surprised. "Hang on. He's already back? Thomas hasn't said anything."

The Doctor shook his head, "Thomas doesn't know. I found a hole in the Planetary Defense that I plan to patch. My ship is sitting there now. Send me the location and I'll bring Jack to investigate with you, Jake."

"Aye! See you in a bit." Jake said as he ended the call.

Pete put his phone back in his pocket. "I'll let Rose know what's keeping you. Do you want me to send anyone else with Jack?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Gobbo is already informing Jack. They are going to bring Logan, too. They will get there the same time we will. Summus, I can't wait for you to see Sam. You were right. He's grown so much."

The Doctor handed him the transporter remote trigger.

Shakes smiled. "I'm sure he has. Alright. See you later."

Pete and Shakes disappeared. The Doctor looked at his wrist band and told Lance some numbers. Lance typed them in on his watch and they popped away.

The lift doors opened to greet some nurses on their way to dinner.

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx

Jack and Gobbo were standing on a beach. Gobbo was shielding his eyes with his hand.

Jack noticed him. "Oh, it's just a bit of sun! Don't worry about it."

Gobbo shook his head and groaned, "I really wish I had remembered some sunglasses. This damn sun-"

Some sunglasses were handed to him. Gobbo looked over at who had offered them to him. The Doctor smiled at him. "I agree, Gobbo. This damn dwarf star is a bright thing. I complain every morning when it wakes me up."

Gobbo took the sunglasses, "Cheers, mate."

They all walked halfway up a hill to find Jake, two Torchwood agents and Bassanio.

Jake greeted them. "I didn't realize you had came home. When did you get back?"

The Doctor shook Jake's hand. "Just got in. Pete is tied up with something." The Doctor pointed at Jake. "Logan, you know Jake Simmonds, right?"

Logan reached out to shake Jake's hand. "It's nice to see you, sir."

Jake shook his hand and smiled. Then looked at Jack. "So, you don't call?"

Jack smiled. "Oh, I have a lot to catch you up on."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I don't want to know. So, Jake. What's the story?"

They continued walking up the hill. "Well, this man over here in is charge. Let me introduce you."

Jake walked over and a tall, very thin, light blue alien wearing a white jumpsuit. He bowed to the Doctor and spoke in a strange language.

Jake groaned and smacked the side of his universal translator. Apparently, it had stopped working. The Doctor bowed back to the alien, and spoke in the strange language back to him.

It was oblivious the alien was surprised in his reply.

The Doctor introduced himself. Then looked back at the body and said something, matter of factly.

The alien seemed to agree, but also to explain something.

The Doctor nodded his head and agreed. He turned around and explained to the group from Torchwood. "Alright, Ealihn said that they are insisting on handling the investigation since this is a member from their crew. It's within their rights. If we are needed, or they need information, they will ask us to assist."

Jake nodded his head. "Alright. Well, what do we do in the meantime?"

The Doctor turned and explained something to Ealihn. Ealihn nodded his head and seemed to approve.

The Doctor turned back around. "We need to stay close-by in case we are needed. So, I recommend that we go check out this resort I've heard so much about. We can pop back if they need anything. Well, hang on a bit."

The Doctor asked Ealihn something.

The alien seemed to think for a moment, and then pointed at the two Torchwood agents who had arrived with them and said something.

The Doctor nodded. "That's a good idea. Okay, they want to keep this quiet that it's happened. So, he's asked if we will leave you two with them to keep the area secure."

Gobbo spoke, "That's a good idea. Shall I remain with them?"

The Doctor thought for a moment. "Yeah, that's fine. Alright."

The Doctor turned and spoke to the alien again and pointed at Gobbo. Then the Doctor turned around and said, "Alright. They have this. Let's go."

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

They walked down the hill and back towards the beach. The sun was beginning to set, and the sun's colors through the clouds were breath taking. They all stopped walking to look at the sky.

"Wow. And to think, home is just over there." The Doctor said as he took off his jacket, and rolled up his sleeves of his oxford.

"This is beautiful." Logan said.

They started to walk towards the main building.

The Doctor looked over at Logan. "That reminds me, Logan. You have an apartment over on the island with us. Well, if you want it. I imagine that will just be easier. And it's yours. I don't mind who stays there, who you have over, whatever. Just keep in mind that your neighbors have young children."

Logan smiled, "Wow. Thank you. Um… Mr. Smith, Doctor Smith."

Jake smiled at Logan. "Just call him John. Seems to help with that."

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxx

The beautiful, clear blue water came right up the edge of the platform where the thatched roof and table sat. They had decided to all grab a bite at a restaurant there at the resort since they had some time to waste. Jake and Jack were thrilled to be back in one another's company. Jack entertained them all with stories of their recent travels. He had them all laughing hysterically at the story of the high speed car chase, the Quauhtin fighting the pirates, and of Lewis' wedding and football reception.

"Why didn't he want to wait until he got back? I imagine a wedding on the island would have been lovely." Jake asked.

The Doctor shook his head. "I have no idea."

Jack pointed at Lance. "He told me to tell you, 'Bye' and 'He'll see you in a few days'."

Lance raised his hands up, "Bye? What the hell? What was he on about?"

The Doctor smiled and explained. "Honeymoon. Him and Arla went to Cancun together. I'm not sure how long they will be gone. I told them to not worry about us, and have a great time."

The waitress brought them all their drinks. Everyone had a beer except Lance, Logan and the Doctor who all had water. Jack noticed. He pointed at the Doctor as he took a drink.

"Something up, Doc'?" Jack chuckled at him.

Knowing what he was on about, but not wanting to tell him about Rose asking him to take a break from drinking, he looked seriously at him. "I don't know. Is there?"

Logan laughed. "You know, I was in that high speed car chase. It sounds so much better as a story than when we were actually doing it."

The Doctor patted him on the back as he sipped his water. "We're all stories in the end. Just make sure it's a good one."

Jack declared, "Now that looks fun! We should make one of those!" He pointed at what he was talking about.

Two small peninsulas of land had a large play system swing set that hung above the water. The visiting aliens would swing out on them, and then jump out and dive into the water.

Lance nodded his head. "Oh, we're doing that. That's brilliant!"

The Doctor shook his head and grunted in disapproval. "Looks like a great way to break your leg. Rose would love it, though."

Jack scoffed, "Oh, geez, Daddy. We'll try to be careful on it."

He shook his head at Jack. "It's not you, _child_ , that I'm worried about."

"You are the most overprotective parent I've ever met. You need to let them live a little." Jack fussed at him.

The Doctor grunted. "Do I need to remind you how Tony is still not able to put weight on a leg because he was living a little?"

"Oh, hell. He's fine. He was just climbing up ladder. You can't keep them from getting hurt."

"I can try." The Doctor told him.

"Phhh…." Jack dismissed him.

The Doctor pointed at Logan, "Do you see this man? Mad, I'm telling you. One time, I took him out to the country side of England-"

Jack covered his face. "You are not going to tell this shit, are you?"

The Doctor laughed, and then continued his story. "He'd had a bit to drink, or something. I don't remember what. We landed in a pasture. Full of milk cows. This man-"

"Oh, good. It's this story. Carry on." Jack relaxed.

The Doctor chuckled again, and shook his head. "This nutter, decides he wants to grill out hamburgers. So, he goes out and stands in the middle of the pasture, cooking burgers. The cattle all surround him to see what he's doing, of course. He tells them it is their long lost friends and just talks so much shit to them."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "It might have been."

"After a while, that gets boring for him. So, he starts belching at them. Loud, alien sounding belching. Rose thought it was disgusting."

The entire table laughed at the story.

"No, that was Martha. Not Rose." Jack added.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Oh, that's right. That was Martha. You're right. Rose would have probably found it hysterical." He laughed with the others.

Jake nodded his head. "I know the belch you are talking about. Jeez. It's deafening. Sounds like a…."

"It sounds like a Cralphyrc choking on something is what he damn sounds like. And NO! Do not do it here." The Doctor demanded.

They all laughed at them.

A waitress came up to the table to ask for their order. They all stopped laughing and looked at one another.

"You know, I think I'll have a burger." Jack said as he laughed.

"Yeah, me too." The Doctor agreed through a smile.

XXXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxxxxxxxXxx


	32. Chapter 32 - Focus

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Chapter 32 - Focus

It was late that evening. Pete, Jackie and Tony had decided to stay the night in the island home. Zeus had been brought by one of the Quauthin, but hadn't been seen for a while.

Rose, carrying a sleeping Sam in her arms, closed the door to Genie's room. Jacob was sleeping in her room on a roll out bed. Completely worn out from their adventures, they were both sound asleep.

Rose looked in Tony's room. Pete lay in the bed holding Tony. They had fallen asleep reading a book together. Rose smiled at them.

Rose continued to walk down the dim hallway of the island home. She climbed the stairs to the top floor to find the light on in their bedroom. She walked in to find the Doctor lying in the middle of the bed, reading something on his tablet. He had taken off his jacket and vest and tossed them on a chair in the corner. He was wearing his glasses. Zeus lay next to him on the bed, and he was absentmindedly running his hand through his fur. It was clear he was totally engrossed in whatever he was reading.

Rose smiled at him and said quietly, "You're back."

He didn't look up, "I'm back."

"Everything taken care of then?"

"Yep." He popped. Still distracted, he continued, "They are handling it themselves. One less one for me to deal with."

Rose giggled, "That doesn't sound like you."

"One dead body? No one knows why? Nah, let someone else have that. I have enough problems without that one, too."

Rose walked over and sat next to him. He still had not taken his eyes off of the tablet.

"And you have new glasses." Rose noticed the thinner, wire frames he was wearing.

He nodded his head, still distracted, "Yeah, I popped by the office and picked up some stuff. These finally came in."

Rose watched him run his hand through Zeus' hair and study something on the tablet. She watched him continue to be totally preoccupied with whatever he was looking at. After a few minutes, he looked at her and smiled. "I'm sorry. What?"

She smiled at him as she patted his thigh. "One might accuse you of avoiding your mother in law."

He smiled, "No. I was protecting Zeus from the madness of children." He whispered to her. "He's hiding out."

She giggled, "Right. I'm sure."

He laughed. "It's true! You can ask him."

Zeus laid his head on the Doctor's leg and whined.

The Doctor said, "I believe you, Zeus. Don't worry."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Okay, you two are hiding out. One from a mother in law, and one from mad children."

He sat his tablet down next to him and took off his glasses. When he looked at her, he noticed she was still holding Sam. He held his finger up and said, "Hang on." He took off his shirt.

Rose looked confused at him as he took Sam and laid him high on his bare chest. He kissed the top of his sleeping head as Sam fussed. "I know you were comfortable. Daddy is here. Shhh…." He told him. He took his oxford and laid it back on Sam. He kissed the top of his head over and over.

Rose smiled as he settled back down in the bed with Sam. He rubbed his lips across Sam's thin hair. Rose held the Doctor's thigh. "What did you have for dinner?"

He groaned, "A hamburger and chips. I always want one when I first return to Earth. That, or a steak. I don't know why. What did you have?"

"Mum made Shepherd's Pie. It was a frozen dinner, thing. Shakes ran out to get us all pizza."

"Protecting the family from Jackie's cooking! That's our man!" He teased. Rose smacked him playfully.

"Rose, I had a think about this break from drinking thing. I really don't think it was that bad. I think that maybe you have the wrong impression about this entire thing."

Rose shook her head. "I've not ask you to quit, I've asked you to take a break from it. There is a difference. You can find some other ways to relive stress during that time."

He sighed and brushed his lips across Sam's head again. "Like what? I'm open for suggestions."

"You holding Sam like that is probably helping." Rose smiled. "It makes me melt seeing you like that."

He smiled. "He has such thin hair. Plus, he smells so proper lovely. It's odd, Rose. His presence is just….. soothing."

Rose smiled. "It's because he's a baby. Aren't all babies like that?"

"Was Tony like that?" He asked her.

Rose thought for a moment. "Tony has always been a live wire. I don't think soothing would ever be used to describe him."

The Doctor looked puzzled and returned to kissing Sam's head. He whispered to him, "Daddy loves you, Sam. You are precious to me."

Rose smiled at them. "Okay, holding a baby will help with your stress. What else?"

"I honestly don't know if it helps or not. I find I block my stress when I hold him. As if I'm putting it on hold. What else do you suggest?"

"You're THE DOCTOR. You don't know of some things you can do?" She asked him in disbelief.

He rubbed his face and shook his head. "I'm at my limit already tonight. Just tell me what works for you."

Rose smiled with her tongue in her teeth and slowly ran her hand to his groin. She gently palmed him through his trousers. "There's always sex."

He smiled, but tried to remain serious. "There is that. Clinically speaking, of course."

"Yes. Just for medical purposes. I've heard that drinking an excess of alcohol can cause you to ummm…."

"Me to what?" he asked her as she continued to tease him.

"Well, men to ummm. Be unable to perform due to not being able to get hard-"

He laughed at her. "I've never had that problem. Well….. there was that one time. Well… that was an old body. Well….. not too old. Well…. I was trying to get out of that, too. Nevermind. Rose, that's not something you need to worry about. I'm fine in that department."

Rose giggled at him. "There is also meditation."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not doing that. That just seems…."

"What?" Rose asked him.

"Alien." He said.

Rose rolled her eyes. "I know you didn't just say that."

"It doesn't seem alien to you?" he asked.

Rose picked up Sam off of his chest and put him in his cot. The Doctor threw his arms out in protest. "Well, the hell? I had just gotten him comfortable."

"He was comfortable from the moment you lay him on your chest. I could feel that."

He sighed as he lay back on the bed and ran his hand through his hair. Rose sat down next to him, and held out her hands.

He looked at her questionability. "What?"

"I'll meditate with you. Have you ever done it?" Rose offered.

"How about sex? Is that an option at this point?" He asked her as he sat up.

Zeus jumped up and ran out of the room.

They both laughed at his reaction.

Rose smiled at him. "Last time I had sex with you, you nearly passed out. I think you should wait for a bit."

"That's because you are so good at it. What do you think?" He teased her as he rubbed her thighs.

She laughed quietly, "Lewis is on his honeymoon. He's the only one I would even feel comfortable calling if you actually did pass out while we were having sex."

He dramatically dropped his head. "Rose, I'm really alright."

"We're not completely sure. You say your senses are all back, but you would tell me that anyway." Rose insisted.

He looked away and nodded his head. "Damn. I would have to marry a clever woman. Alright, fine. Have it your way. But, I'm maintaining that this is weird."

Rose smiled as she laid her legs on top of his and moved closer to him. She wrapped her legs around his back. He bit his lip as he looked at her and continued to rub her thighs. "Oh, yes. This is nice."

"Friday, play my music, please. Quietly, I don't want to wake up the baby." Rose asked.

"Certainly, ma'am." Friday said. "Fade into You" by Mazzy Star started to play.

The Doctor put his hands on her cheeks and kissed her. What Rose thought would have been a quick kiss, turned into a long, passionate snogging. He sucked her bottom lip, causing her to moan. When he stopped, he rubbed her shoulders, "Are you sure the sex is out?"

Clearly dazed, she pointed forcefully at him. "Focus. We're meditating."

"Right! Meditating. To relieve stress. Alright! Show me how you do this."

She took his hands off of her shoulders and held them. "Alright. First, you need to close your eyes."

She smiled as he closed his eyes in front of her. "Then, I want you to clear your mind."

"All I can hear at the moment is how handsome you think I am. Are your eyes closed, or are you looking at me?" He asked her.

"I'm looking at you." Rose smiled as she whispered to him.

He whispered to her. "If you are looking at me while you are making me meditate, then I should be able to do something. It's only fair, Rose."

Rose could feel his mood. She giggled, "What do you have in mind?"

"I won't open my eyes, just let me touch you." He asked.

"You are holding my hands-"

"Don't play woman. You know what I mean." He smiled at her.

Rose unbuttoned her blouse and brought his hands to cup her breasts. He smiled, then forced himself to become serious. "Meditation. Right. Serious stuff." Then he mumbled breathlessly, "Oh, this feels like a sexy bra."

"Focus." Rose demanded.

"Focused! Yes ma'am. Now, what should I do?"

"Tell me something that is causing you stress." Rose told him.

He opened his eyes and looked at her, "Now, how the hell is that supposed to help?"

Rose pointed forcefully at him. "Listen, Time Lord! You know that I'm here to help you. I'm part of you now. Being honest with yourself, or your spouse, is the first step at releasing stress."

"Says who? I've never heard this?"

Rose rolled her eyes and groaned, "You are the biggest pain in the ass. Will you just try this?"

He sighed and closed his eyes again. He held her hands. "Alright. Things that cause me stress. A dead alien on the resort island."

Rose spoke softly to him. "Someone else is handling that, you don't need to worry about it."

"Three crashes to Earth since we've been gone. That's one a day in the same place. What the hell caused that?" he sighed.

"There is an entire team working on that back at Torchwood. I'm sure. Let them do their jobs. You do yours. What else?"

"This beautiful woman with me, she's being a bit demanding." He smiled.

She leaned in and kissed him quickly. "Keep talking. What else?"

"We left Plentitude just in time. There is a huge outbreak of a contagious strain of….umm… something similar to the flu. There's a few people hospitalized now that are not doing well with it at all." He sighed.

She kissed him and rubbed his chest. She whispered, "We are all safe. If we need to go back, we can be there in nine hours. What else?"

He opened his eyes and rubbed his face. He sighed, "Howie. He really doesn't need to continue to be President. Did you know they are President for seven years? He can't do that another seven years. The stress alone would kill him, not to mention this damn problem with his heart."

He lay back in the pillows.

Rose lay down on top of him. He wrapped his arms around her. "Howie is a young man. He has years ahead of him if he will take care of himself. He needs to step away from this. How long does the British President serve?"

"Four or five years. I'm not certain." Rose said as she teased his chest with her fingertips.

"Howie is a very stubborn man, but I don't believe he realizes what is at stake here. He has a very weak heart. I've seen all of the tests. That heart attack should have done him in. He was just too damn stubborn." He complained.

"You will have to talk him out of it. But, it's just not up to you to do that. You're not alone in feeling this way about it."

"What do you mean?" He asked her.

"Dad feels the same way. Maybe you two can speak to him together."

He sighed, "That might work. Maybe he'll listen to Pete."

"I can feel you are more at ease. I know you are worried about Tony's leg. He's fine. Dad made him lay down so he wouldn't try to walk on it tonight."

"Oh, he'll be fine. The other Tony has me worried. He is on the ship tonight with Timon working on that suit. They are planning on transporting him straight into Afghanistan tomorrow morning. He's going to get his ass killed doing that. I wish I could make him see that."

"It's not up to you to tell everyone what to do."

"People's lives would be so much easier if they would just listen to me. Like Malcolm for example. I've reread his proposal again tonight. Does he just not see what he's going to do? Why is he so obsessed with this? How well do you know him?"

"I know him really well. Let me talk to him about this. Explain what is at risk."

He shook his head. "Rose. I don't need you to fight my battles for me."

"This is not fighting battles for you. I don't know of you realize this or not, but people like options. Let me give him some options, instead of you just making demands."

He smiled, "'Good cop, bad cop' as Tony would say. Makes sense. Alright, have a go at him, Agent Tyler. I'll kick if we move to a shoot-out."

Rose giggled, "You and football. What else is going on?"

He sighed, "I think that's it. Feels like there is more."

She smiled as she rose up and looked at him. "And you feel better. I can feel that."

"I still want a drink." He complained.

Rose smacked him playfully across the chest. "Focus."

"What? We're not mediating anymore. Stop hitting me woman."

Rose smiled at him. "Now, you are supposed to ask what is bothering me."

"Oh! Right! Sorry. Rose, I'm terrible at this. Yes. What is on your mind?" he asked.

She lay back down on his shoulder. "I worry about my husband. He seems to be having a hard time."

"You shouldn't worry about him. Your husband is an adult and has taken care of himself for centuries. He has a hard time letting go to let someone else worry about him. Not to mention, he's rubbish at relationships."

Rose giggled, "I'm determined to help him."

"He's a pain in the ass. I don't know if he's worth your time or not."

Rose smiled, "He is worth my time. He is dear to me. He did something strange this morning. Something I don't think he even realizes he did."

"Left the toilet seat up? I really try to remember about that. I hear it's annoying to all wome-"

"No. He called me 'Rose Smith.' I know he hates that." Rose told him.

He thought for a few moments. "I did say that." He said as he realized it. "Huh."

Rose sat up and looked at him, "Baby, you hate that."

He smiled like a loon. "Baby. No one calls me that. I love that."

"Focus." Rose said as she rolled her eyes and smiled at him.

"Right. Well, I have been saying it over and over in my mind. Even before we were married. Rose Smith. Rose Smith. I thought it might make it sound more, natural. I thought it first it sounded like you had married Micky. Micky Smith. I hated that. But, more and more people are starting to call me Smith. So, it's like you married me. We're together. Not you and Micky."

He threaded his fingers through hers and kissed her wrist.

Rose looked in his eyes. "That's why you hated it? Because of him?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Rose, I can't help it. I'm terrible at this stuff. I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry for that. I didn't realize that's what it sounded like to you."

"You dated Micky, and thinking about that now just makes my heart ache. And that other guy who talked you into leaving school. I just want you to be happy and I know they were not good enough for you. I'm not good enough for you."

She kissed him quickly, "Don't say that. And don't think about these other guys. That's just weird."

"Yeah, I suppose it is. I'm still getting used to living in linear time. It's strange."

Rose smiled as she ran her hand through his hair. He relaxed in the mountain of pillows. "You feel so, relaxed."

He closed his eyes. "I am relaxed at the moment. You feel… umm…. Rather…. Sensual."

Rose laughed quietly at him. "Do I?"

He opened his eyes and smiled at her. "You really do." He kissed her hand and teased, "Sensual. Very lascivious."

Rose smiled, "I have no idea what that even means. But, I can guess."

He pulled her wrist back to his lips and kissed it slowly. "It is an adjective that means 'inclined to lustfulness. Arousing sexual desire.' See, and now you are up to the minute."

Rose ran her hand through his hair. "Up to the minute, huh?"

"Way too much CNN. I've been keeping a look out for aliens on there."

Rose rolled her eyes. "What were you reading on your tablet?"

"Reports from Torchwood. I did read your book. I've been meaning to chat with you about that."

She lay her head down on his chest and groaned, "Ugh. We don't have to talk about how big of an idiot I am."

"Oh! Wow. Quite the contrary! I've been blinded with science. Holy shit, woman. Really?"

Rose giggled at his excitement, "You feel like you are about to burst. You madman."

"I read that 32 times that night you first handed it to me. Wow. I could hear your voice in it. It was amazing. Wow. You understand all of that?"

"Well, duh. I wrote it, didn't I?" Rose told him.

He ran his hand through his hair. "Damn. Well, there are three things I want to say about that. First, brilliant. Absolutely, brilliant. It left me speechless. I can't wait to get my TARDIS ready so I can take you to meet Einstein and you two can discuss things." He looked at her and breathed out slowly, "Oh, you have no idea how hot you are to me-"

"Focus!" Rose laughed as she felt his hands rub her bum through her jeans. "You are so ridiculous."

"Right. Sex is out tonight. Damn. Alright. Are you sure about that?" He asked her.

Rose smiled at him and looked him up and down. She considered. "It's on the table for discussion."

"Yes! Alright. What was I talking about?"

"My book, you nutter."

"Oh, yes! Your book. It's not a book, I read it as four separate books. You could elaborate in some areas to make it a bit longer if you wanted. I want to send it to the same publisher I've been working with Rowling. If you can water it down and make a children's version, you could do an entire set."

Rose looked surprised at him. "You're serious. You want to publish this?"

"Of course I do! Don't you?"

"I honestly haven't thought about it. I just wrote it to have something to do."

"Harry Potter is sitting on the table over there. I've already read it twice tonight. It's better than I remembered. Oh, wow. But, your book would blow some people's minds. The scientific world would be left speechless. I'm certain of it."

Rose laughed at him. "Speechless. Unlike you?"

"Well. I talk a lot. In every language. It's a problem with me. But, there was one problem I have to chat with you about."

Rose groaned and fell back in the pillows dramatically. "Oh, here it comes."

He smiled at her as he lay down and ran his hand across her cheek. He looked in her eyes. "No, nothing like that. I just feel that you need to hold off on some bits of it. It's something this time isn't ready for. It could be very dangerous in the wrong hands."

Rose looked surprised and continued to rub his bare chest. "Really?"

"Oh, hell yes. Einstein didn't see that with his theory. I tried to warn him, but he wouldn't listen. The atom bomb later, he wished he had taken my advice. Instead of me warning someone and them not listening to me, will you please just do me that one favor? Please?"

Rose smiled at him. "Of course I will. Don't worry about that."

He kissed her gently. She ran her fingertips up and down his back. He could feel her enthusiasm. He rubbed her nose with his. "You said, 'no'. I heard it plainly. This doesn't feel like 'no', Rose Smith. Should I stop?"

She pulled his head back to meet his lips. He moved his hand down to rub her breast. She unfastened his trousers and pushed them down with his pants. She stroked him in her hand.

He spoke in her head, _'This is really not feeling like no. Is this alright?'_

 _'Of course it is.'_

He laughed quietly in relief. He rose up to unbutton her jeans. "Good. Because I was about to call you an extremely, mean woman otherwise."

"Do not go weird on me! Are you sure you are you up for this?" Rose asked him.

"Not quite yet. Kiss me for 48 more seconds." He teased her. She pulled his head back down to meet her lips again.

She stroked him to help him get hard as they continued their snog.

Then his bracelet lit up. Friday spoke. "Sir. It's a call from Torchwood."

He rose up and looked at her. "I'm having this bedroom searched. I'm certain they have it bugged. Fucking hell." He complained.

He answered the call. "Jake. What's the problem, man?"

"Another spaceship on the ground. That's four in four days. I need your help on this one, man." Jake told him.

He dropped his head. "Ugh. Damn it. I was just in the middle of meditating."

Rose laughed and said in his head, _'Sure, that's what you're calling it.'_

He pointed at her. _'Cheeky.'_

Jake said, "I'm sending the numbers. We'll be on the scene in two minutes with a team. Rescue is already there, and there are no survivors. Seems the same as the last three."

"Right. Give me a bit, I'll be right there." He moaned as tapped his bracelet to end the call.

He pulled back on his pants and his trousers as he got out of the bed. Rose could feel his frustration. "Sweetheart. We'll finish this when you get back."

He stood up and ran both of his hands through his hair, sending it in every direction. "Ahhh! Damn it. In fact. I'll scan it now." He took out his sonic screwdriver and pressed a button on the side, then sat it on the bed. He rubbed his chest as listened to sonic's noise.

When it stopped, he picked back up the screwdriver and put it in his pocket. "Well, I was wrong. It doesn't happen often. I was due."

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Do you want me to join you?"

He looked surprised at her. "Yes! Absolutely! That's a brilliant idea! Really? You want to go?"

Rose got out of bed and groaned, "Anything to get me out of this house. Grab my trainers and jacket. I'll take Sam to Mum."

He pointed at her as he pulled back on his oxford. "Right! And we'll return to our meditation, later. I can feel my stress level down already 34% just thinking about it."

She giggled at him as she carried Sam through the door.

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	33. Chapter 33 - Crash

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Chapter 33 - Crash

It was still night. The full moon illuminated the beach where a small space craft burned. Eight Torchwood agents were around the wreckage, spraying it with fire extinguishers and looking for survivors.

Jake stood, with his arms crossed, observing everything.

Rose and the Doctor appeared behind him. Rose still wore her jeans, t-shirt and a jacket. The Doctor had put back on his jacket to his suit, but had left the vest and tie behind.

You could hear the roar of the ocean behind them, and the sound of the fire from the craft. The men were shouting as they worked to put the fire out. Jake looked down at his tablet as the Doctor put his hand on his shoulder.

"Alright. We're here. Catch us up." He told him.

Jake looked at Rose and smiled. "Nice to see you, Agent Tyler."

The Doctor smiled at him, "I'm sorry, this is Agent Smith. You were my Best Man. So soon you forget. So, what's happening?"

Jake handed him the tablet, "These are the reports from the past three nights-"

"I've seen these. Yes."

"The trajectory of this crash seems to mirror them. Exactly the same. Same place, same sort of craft, same time of night."

Rose held up her hand. "I'm sorry. What? This is exactly the same situation? In the same place?"

Jake nodded his head. "In every detail. It's very strange."

Rose asked, "What island are we on?"

The Doctor put his hands in his pockets. "It's not an island. This is in West Africa. Namibia. A lovely place where the desert touches the sea. This isn't a beach we're standing on."

Rose looked impressed. "Casualties?"

"Appears to be two. Same as the nights before."

The Doctor looked at Jake. "What did you do with the other wreckage? It's not here."

Jake shrugged his shoulders. "I send someone to get it and it is gone. I thought that first day that whomever the ship belonged to had sent someone to recover the craft."

Jack walked up to join them. His face was darkened from the smut of the fire. "Looks like a Flih'ylnea ship to me. But, I wouldn't think they would be this far over in this galaxy during this time period. Oh, hey, Doc'. What do you think?"

He crossed his arms, "A Flih'ylnea ship? It does appear to be that, but I agree. They are completely on the other side of the galaxy still."

Jack looked back at the ship, "Yeah. That's impossible."

The Doctor smiled back at Rose. "I like impossible."

Jack tossed his hands up. "Well, that doesn't make any damn sense."

Jake shook his head. "Could someone have stolen a handful of these ships and is throwing them down here to get our attention? No one has been detected though."

The Doctor groaned as he looked at Jack. Both of them knew the detection systems were extremely lacking during this time.

Rose tapped her lips as she thought. "This isn't different ships. This is the same ship. This is a casual loop."

The Doctor looked at her and smiled.

Jake looked surprised, "I'm sorry. What, Rose?"

Rose looked at Jake. "That's what it is. Someone has opened a small black hole and it's brought this ship from the other side of the galaxy to here, over and over."

Jake shook his head. "No, that's not possible Rose-"

Rose interrupted him. "No, listen. It fits. Four nights, exactly the same accident with a very unlikely ship that disappears in the morning? It's because this area is part of a time loop somehow. Wait, I'm wrong. It's not a casual loop. I'm calling it the wrong thing. It's an example of the Novikov self-consistency principle."

Clearly excited, The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and bit his lip.

Jack asked. "Why do you say that?"

Rose looked at him. "Well, it's simple. A casual loop would have an end and a beginning. This is just a loop. It keeps happening the same way. Theoretically permitted in certain solutions of general relativity that contains what are known as a closed, timelike curve. Or in this case, a complete circle."

The Doctor gritted his teeth as he looked at the ground. He rocked on his feet in excitement.

Jack still didn't believe what he was hearing. He looked back at the Doctor. "Is this you, bleeding into her?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No. That's completely her. She's brilliant, she is."

Jack asked. "What would cause it, Rose?"

"Someone messing about with putting a black hole someplace. Like in a Void." She said as she realized what had happened.

She looked at the Doctor and they both said at the same time, "Malcolm."

Jake looked at both of them. "Alright. Who would like to explain?"

Jack patted Jake on the shoulder. "I've got this. Go yell at Malcolm, Doc'. I'll catch you up, later."

Rose and the Doctor popped away.

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Rose and the Doctor popped back into their bedroom in their island home. Rose looked around surprised. "Well, what the hell?"

The Doctor was standing in front of her breathing in deep breaths. He seemed to be calming himself. "I just needed a bit. Besides I have no idea where Malcolm lives."

Rose laughed at him. "You could just ask. He's most likely at Torchwood right now."

The Doctor ran both of his hands through his hair and groaned.

"What's your problem? I can't even feel your emotions. You are shielding yourself from me."

"I'm trying to keep my hands to myself. I'm finding it difficult at the moment." He told her as he put his hands on his hips and shook his head. He looked down and took a deep breath.

Rose giggled at him. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed him quickly. "Let down your shields. Let me feel this."

He held her around her waist. "Sweetheart, it would overwhelm you at the moment. I'm certain."

She looked down and unfastened his trousers. He watched her and smiled. "But, it does promise to show some relief in a bit."

She smiled at him. "Let's finished what we started, then we'll go yell at Malcolm."

"That's what I'm talking about!" He exclaimed as she pushed him over into the bed. She climbed on his waist as he rolled her over and kissed her. Both of them moaned and laughed quietly.

She slid down his trousers and pants and teased his already stiff staff. He was lost in kissing her. He unbuttoned her blouse and kissed down her chest. He rubbed her breast. "Oh, I could tell that was a sexy bra. Wow."

She rolled her eyes. "We need to be quick about this. Just-"

"No." His muffled voice told her as he kissed her neck. "Let me take my time." He rose up and unfastened her jeans. He slid them down with her knickers and kissed her stomach. "This beautiful, brilliant woman. Talking science to me in a desert. It was everything I could do to maintain control of myself."

He dropped his shields and Rose felt his emotions. He had been right. It was overwhelming. She could feel how much he wanted her, and it only made her want him as much. She rolled him over as he slipped inside of her. She leaned down to kiss him as she moved to give them both the pleasure they craved.

After a few moments, Rose stopped and looked at him.

"What? Why did you stop? What's wrong?" He asked her.

"You're alright, right?" Rose asked him.

He smiled at her. "Sweetheart, I'm fine. Come, kiss me."

Rose leaned down to meet his lips again. He held the back of her head as he snogged her again. He rolled her over and her head hung off the side of the bed. He thrust in her deeply. She moaned loudly as she held her hands to her face. After a few moments, he lifted her head back up on the bed.

"You're alright? I didn't mean to nearly push you off the bed." He smiled at her.

She was still trying to catch her breath. She patted his chest. He laughed as he stood up and slid back on his pants and trousers. He looked down at his shirt he still wore. He smiled as he shook his head. He took off his jacket and tossed it over on the bench at the end of the bed. Then unbuttoned his oxford and took it off. He rolled it up and wiped between her legs. "A bit too much tonight. For both of us. Wow."

Rose giggled as he tossed the oxford in the laundry and walked into the closet to get another shirt. In his absence, Rose pulled back up her knickers and jeans. She was buttoning up her shirt when he walked back into the bedroom wearing a blue t-shirt and was pulling on his jacket. "Alright. Let's go yell at Malcolm."

He helped Rose off of the bed and kissed her hand. "Okay, Rose. You sure about this? You want to try to talk him into stopping?"

Rose smiled at him. "I've got this. Watch and learn."

He rolled his eyes and grunted. She smiled at him.

"What?" He asked her. "You're looking at me strange."

She laughed, "You remind me of someone."

He looked confused, "I do? Who?"

She held him around his waist and kissed him quickly. "Some bloke I used to know. He had really short hair, wore a leather jacket. He was always complaining about something."

"He had big ears didn't he?"

"Like open car doors. It was dramatic." Rose laughed.

"Oh, hell. They were not that bad! Be careful, Rose. I'll get jealous." He teased her.

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	34. Chapter 34 – Malcolm and Tosh

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Chapter 34 – Malcolm and Tosh

They popped into the Doctor's office. Rose held his hand as they walked towards the door. She stopped suddenly.

"Oh! Before I forget. Harriet needs us to come to a State Dinner tomorrow night. Howie being sick gives her two empty seats at the table and she needs us there. I told her we'd be there. I hope that's alright."

He nodded his head. "Sure. Well, is this a tux thing?"

"I'm not sure. I'll ask." Rose told him as he rubbed her arms.

He smiled as he leaned in and kissed her quickly, "It will be good for you to be seen, too. I think the general population thinks I buried you in the backyard or something."

She rolled her eyes at him as he held the door open for her and they walked into Michelle's office. She was sitting at the desk sipping her tea. She looked up and smiled at them. "Well, good morning to you both! This is a pleasant surprise. No Shakes? Lance?"

They looked at one another and realized they had left without any bodyguards.

"How did we even manage that?" The Doctor asked Rose.

Rose laughed, "I don't even know. Wow." She whispered, "Lewis will be pissed."

He chuckled, "Oh, yes he will. Michelle, you never saw us. Lewis will be proper cross we managed to get out of the house on our own."

Michelle laughed, "It's our secret. I have some messages for you, Doctor Smith. I'll send them to you to review."

He nodded, "That's fine, thank you. Is Malcolm here yet?"

"I'll ring down there and see, do you want to see him?"

Rose spoke. "Yes, but we'll go down to see him there. Don't send him up here."

The Doctor was distracted by a box in a chair. It was full of shopping. He pointed at it. "Sweets?"

Michelle had the phone up to her ear, "That's shopping for your house. So, take what you want."

Rose walked over to him as he put the bags of sweets in his pockets. Michelle spoke on the phone behind them. He looked at Rose. "What?"

She smiled at him. "Jelly babies?"

"One of my favorites. What's your favorite sweet, Rose? You've never told me."

"It's not you I need to tell. Michelle does our shopping." Rose teased him.

He opened a bag of sweets and offered her some. She politely refused. He told her quietly. "I have a new game we can play, later. I'll have to remember that question."

She smiled at him as she said in his head, _'That statement sounds like something where I will be losing my knickers.'_

He laughed at her. He grinned like a loon, "And how sweet it is."

Michelle spoke to them. "Malcolm is in. While it's on my mind, is there any other shopping you would like? Logan was coming by this morning with Lance to pick it up."

Rose shook her head, "I don't think so."

The Doctor pointed at her. "Ice cream. I really would love some ice cream. Rose has been having milkshakes lately. Make sure we have something to make chocolate milkshakes with. Jacob Shepherd is staying with us for a while, too. He likes vanilla, so we'll need some of that."

Michelle smiled, "Certainly. Do you have enough nappies?"

Rose smiled, "You can never have enough nappies. But, we picked up a lot on our trip so I believe he will be fine for a while."

Michelle smiled and nodded her head. "And Logan is working out?"

The Doctor smiled. "Logan quite possibility saved Tony Tyler's life while we were gone. I'm yet to tell Pete about it, but he's a good man to have in a crisis. You've done a hell of a job with him. He's agreed to take an apartment on the island where we live. You should come out and see us there."

Michelle smiled, "Logan is busy being a man. He doesn't need his mum hanging around, but thank you."

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Rose and the Doctor walked down the hallways of Torchwood. Agents and coworkers walked past them in the hallways. The Doctor was busy eating his sweets out of the bag and didn't seem to notice when some young ladies recognized him and Rose. They stopped in the hallway and pointed at them in surprise as they mumbled something. Rose rolled her eyes as she reached in the bag of sweets and took a few Jelly Babies.

"These aren't as good as I remember." She told him.

"I used to eat these all the time back in the '70s. I know they were better."

They got to the lift, and Rose pressed the button to take them down to Malcolm's lab.

"This is just odd. Us walking around like this. Lewis would not like this at all." Rose said.

He continued to eat the sweets. "It's taking matters of great restraint at the moment. He's chatting with me about surfing. Can you surf in Cancun?"

"I've not seen you surf on our island. Have you been doing that?" Rose asked him, surprised.

The lift dinged and they walked out. Several people on the floor gasped when they saw them. The Doctor didn't notice, completely preoccupied with his sweets. "I should ask her to get us something else. Rose, what sort of sweets do you like?"

She rolled her eyes as she laughed. "You can probably guess."

"I really can't. Jammie Dodgers? Mars bars? What?"

Rose laughed quietly at him as she greeted the security officer at the door. The Doctor took out his wallet and showed them his ID.

The security officer smiled and pressed the button to allow them entry. "Good Morning, Director Smith. It's nice to see you, Miss Tyler."

Rose nodded back to the officer.

The Doctor continued to eat the sweets. "Damn. Jammie Dodgers do sound good. Do you like those, Rose?"

They walked down the hallways of the labs. Rose noticed several of the projects being worked on where dramatically different than the last time she had been through there. The scientists looked up and waved at her. She smiled back. The Doctor continued to eat his sweets.

"I know what you probably like. Toffees. Is that it?" He asked.

Rose smiled at him. She stopped outside of a door and pointed in his chest. "We'll chat about this later. Let's talk to Malcolm now. Remember, I'm handling this."

He nodded his head as he crumpled up the bag. "Right. I'll be good."

She looked at him as he put the empty bag in his pocket.

"What?" He asked her.

"You've already ate that entire bag of sweets?" She asked him.

He looked at her like she just dribbled on her shirt, "Well, yes. I have some more in my pocket."

She shook her head and smiled as she walked in the lab. "Malcolm! Tosh! I hope this is a good time."

They were both very happy to see Rose, but looked a bit apprehensive when they looked back at the Doctor. Tosh embraced Rose and smiled. "See, and I thought you had forgotten about us. You look amazing."

Rose smiled, "I've just been busy. I'm so sorry."

Tosh smiled at her. "Did you really get married?"

Rose smiled, "We did."

Tosh hugged her again. "It's so wonderful to see you. I have worried about you. All of these attacks. It's just terrifying."

"You should be the one they are aiming for." The Doctor groaned.

Tosh smiled at him. "And how are you doing? Been here a few months now from the other Dimension. Settling in?"

The Doctor nodded, "I suppose so. The air still tastes. I don't know. Blah."

Rose laughed, "He's so strange."

Tosh smiled, "How is Melissa's daughter? It was so sad what happened."

Rose felt the Doctor's heart ache at the memory. She held Tosh's hand. "Genie is doing great. She was on CNN with him and Tony the other day. Did you see her?"

Tosh laughed, "They keep replaying it. No wonder you don't have time to come visit us down in the lab anymore. With you off hanging out Presidents, movie stars and Stark."

Rose shook her head and pointed at the Doctor. "No, he hangs out with Stark."

He tossed a Jelly Baby in his mouth. "You say that like it's a bad thing. We stay out of trouble. Well, most of the time."

Rose smiled. "Well, that's true."

Malcolm looked so nervous that he might pass out. He sat in a chair and wiped the sweat from his brow. "What are you both coming to visit us for?"

Rose looked back at the Doctor, who was sitting in a chair in the corner. He looked up at her and waved his hand. "Just a friendly visit. I only escorted Rose down here. I needed to get out of the office. Forget, I'm here."

Tosh sighed as she sat down next to him, "Says the Director. Yeah, not nervous at all then."

He offered her some sweets. Tosh took some and thanked him.

Rose leaned against the cabinet. "So, Malcolm. I understand you had a few days off."

Malcolm looked back at the Doctor, then at Rose. "Yeah, you could say that."

Trying to keep it friendly, Rose smiled, "What did you do? Watch the game?"

Malcolm took off his glasses and wiped the sweat off his brow.

 _'Sweetheart, he's way more nervous about this line of questioning than he could be. Is something else up?'_ the Doctor asked Rose in her head.

 _'Nah, he's just like that.'_ Rose told him.

Rose spoke to Malcolm, "Malcolm. John had me look over your research about this theory you have. It's brilliant. Absolutely, but it's extremely dangerous. Do you realize what you are on the verge of doing?"

The Doctor noticed Rose had her shields up very high. She had also called him John. He knew she had spent a lot of time with these people before he had gotten here and they knew he was from the other dimension like Rose was. He looked at her curiously, and rubbed his beard.

Malcolm couldn't take it anymore. He took off his glasses and slammed them on the desk he sat at. "Of course I do! And I can't believe it! He said he wouldn't contact you to discuss this until later. Once we had everything sorted out."

Rose turned and looked at the Doctor. _'Alright? What is he on about?'_

He waved his hand, _'Let me do this part.'_

The Doctor spoke to him, "Malcolm. He told me that part, and he asked me not to discuss it with you. But, I knew that you and Rose had known one another a long time and was just sortof….well….surprised by the entire thing. That's all."

Malcolm looked like he might pass out. "He's interested in the theory and believes it's not as dangerous as you seem to think it is."

The Doctor shook his head as he and Tosh continued to eat the sweets, "Believing it doesn't make it so."

Rose continued. "But, Malcolm. It is dangerous. You could plant an entire black hole in the middle of London. Doesn't that sound a bit….. extreme?"

Malcolm became frustrated. "I've done all of the numbers, I can control it! It would open the Void on this side and the other!"

The Doctor said, "Yeah. While destroying this universe and the Prime Dimension. Not to mention the other dimensions copied from that one."

He looked up to see Rose glaring at him. He held up his hand. "Sorry. Jelly Baby giving an option. I'll keep them quiet."

Rose smiled at him. She grabbed a chair and sat down next to Malcolm. "Malcolm. There is a ship that has crashed in West Africa. It's the fourth time it's crashed in four days because that's when you first attempted this experiment back at your flat. I'm right, aren't I?"

Malcolm put his glasses on and nodded. "Yes. Agent Simmonds came and confiscated everything. But, that has nothing to do with this."

Rose shook her head. "Malcolm, I think it does. If you opened a hole here, and one on the other side of the Universe, it would explain why a ship that shouldn't be anywhere close to here is caught in a time loop and keeps crashing every night."

Tosh ate some more of the Doctor's sweets. "Casual Loop?"

Rose shook her head. "Novikov self-consistency conjecture." She looked over at the Doctor who quickly closed his eyes and breathed out, "Wow." Silently.

Tosh nodded. "Oh, right. Makes sense. Malcolm. Rose wouldn't lead you astray on this. She's only here to help, and obliviously knows about you meeting with H.I. Why is this experiment so damn important?"

"Because it will be something I do that really works! I can prove this!"

The Doctor thought out loud. "Doctor Malcolm Taylor. The Malcolm. One Malcolm was a wavelength parcel of ten KHz operating in all four dimensions. You're responsible for that."

Malcolm looked at him in surprise. "You know about that?"

The Doctor smiled, "I'm the Doctor. I know about everything."

Malcolm shook his head. "No. That was just a theory. It was never published. They published Rose's bit."

Tosh exclaimed, "Malcolm! You didn't even send it in! The hell?"

Rose looked shocked, "You didn't send it in? I thought you did! What the hell?"

Malcolm shook his head. "Really, Rose! A unit of measurement named after myself? I think that might be a bit…. Ummm.. what's a good word?"

The Doctor tossed a sweet in his mouth. "Narcissistic."

All three of them turned and looked at him in surprise. He pointed into the bag of sweets. "Shut up you damn Jelly Babies! Rose is handling this. She doesn't need your help."

Rose rolled her eyes as she turned and looked at Malcolm. "Malcolm. How about this? Write a paper about this theory of yours involving this black hole, include the unit of measurement in there. I'll endorse it. I'm a Nobel Prize winner and it's because of you and Tosh that I even got considered. I'd love to be able to pay you back for the kindness and friendship you have shown me over the years."

Malcolm looked up at Rose. "But….?"

Rose sighed, "But, promise me you'll end this experiment. And when you write it, do like we did with mine. You need to leave certain bits out to keep someone from following it. Malcolm, surely you see how dangerous this would be in the wrong hands."

Malcolm sighed and nodded his head. "I do. You're right, Rose. Ugh. But, the unit of measurement? Malcolm? What do you think about that?"

The Doctor was busy eating the sweets and didn't look up. "Well, naming a unit of measurement after oneself didn't do James Watt any harm. And you're not going to be able to have a Bernard, if you don't have Malcolms. Well. At least one hundred of them."

Malcolm's eyes got huge as he pointed at the Doctor. "Now, I hadn't told anyone that! How did you guess that?"

The Doctor looked up and shook his head. He had done it again. He grabbed a Jelly Baby and held it in front of him. "That's it. You're not going to butt in on his chat any longer! Enough!" He tossed the Jelly Baby in his mouth and crumpled up the bag. "Taken care of Rose. They won't bother you any longer."

Tosh smiled as she looked back at Rose. "He's rather fun. Isn't he?"

Rose giggled as she looked back at him. "That's one way to put it."

"She usually calls me 'mad'. I prefer your definition. Thank you." He told Tosh, who laughed.

The Doctor looked at Tosh. "Why haven't you published any of your research? You theories are brilliant! I've read all of those reports."

Tosh blushed as she ate some more sweets she had in her hand. "You are too kind in your compliments. I'm not that brilliant."

"You've been helping Malcolm with that non solid invisible protection system. Sounds fascinating."

Malcolm looked back at him. "That's actually all Tosh's. I was helping her."

Tosh blushed as the Doctor smiled at her. "That's what I thought. After working all of those years in the Defense Ministry, that sounds like something you would have came up with. Tell me. Tosh. Malcolm. Do you lot know about this Stark Expo going on right now in New York?"

Both of them looked at him and nodded their heads.

The Doctor continued, "Brilliant stuff going on there. You should both go and see what you can be inspired with. Sometimes the smallest thing can spark the biggest idea. I'll have Michelle arrange everything for you. Catch the Bullet and spend the week over there. Or however long you want. I'm sure Stark will have me back over there in a few days. It would be nice to see someone I know."

Tosh covered her mouth and laughed, "Seriously? I'd love to go."

He nodded his head. "Certainly. Go, check it out. I'm planning on taking Rose there one night, but our schedule is just mad at the moment."

Malcolm stuttered on his words. "Thank you, Director Smith."

"Ah. Have a good time."

Rose smiled at him, "So, Malcolm. Do we have an understanding?"

Malcolm nodded his head. "Yes. I can deal with that. But, I would like to get my equipment back that I had at the house."

Rose looked back at the Doctor. "Well, Director?"

He groaned. "Malcolm, what do you want the equipment back for?"

Malcolm tossed up his hands. "Well, for starters, to close the damn black hole and stop the crashes. Who knows what the hell else I've caused since it's been offline!"

The Doctor looked at Rose in surprise. "Fuck." They said together.

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	35. Chapter 35 -Strategic Thinking

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Chapter 35 - Strategic Thinking

After a quick phone call to Jake, the four of them went into the storage unit and retrieved the equipment. They carried it all back into the lab and hooked it up. Malcolm was able to quickly close both of the holes he had opened. The Doctor verified they had been closed. He scratched his beard, then told Rose, Tosh and Malcolm to step over to the other side of the room.

Once they stepped over there, he used his sonic screwdriver and shorted out the computer system. Sparks flew in every direction.

The Doctor sighed as he looked up at their stunned faces. "I'm sorry, Malcolm. It's just too, damn dangerous. This is better. Believe me."

Malcolm nodded his head. "You're probably right."

The Doctor's phone rang. He took it out of his pocket and said quickly to them, "Excuse me."

As he walked to the other side of the room, Rose heard him say. "Hey, Stark. What's up?"

Tosh patted Malcolm on the back. "It's for the best, Malcolm. Let's get a start on that paper today. Then we'll get the Bullet to New York tomorrow and work on it while we travel. Sound good?"

Malcolm wiped his brow and nodded. "Yes. That does sound like a good use of our time."

Tosh asked him, "Are you still planning on going to H.I. after this?"

Malcolm looked up in surprise at Rose. He shook his head. "I don't think so. It will probably take days to make certain there's nothing more to this than a ship caught in a time loop. Plus, I like it here."

Rose smiled as she nodded her head. "That's my thoughts, too."

The Doctor walked back over to them. "I'm sorry, but we need to go. Rose, are you ready?"

Rose looked up at him. He could still feel how guarded she was.

"You alrigh-" he asked her.

"I'm fine." Rose insisted. "Tosh. Malcolm. I'm sorry to run out on you, but have a great time in New York. I'll see you soon."

Tosh nodded her head. "Right, Rose. It was nice to see you both. Thank you, Director. For the sweets."

The Doctor held Rose's hand and smiled, "Have a great time in New York. Malcolm, we'll chat about the Cyberman invasion next time."

Malcolm chuckled. "Alright."

They turned to walk out of the door, and back down the hallways of the labs. The Doctor grew more concerned with each step. Rose continued to be very guarded with her emotions and thoughts. He nodded to the security officer as they got buzzed back out of the labs and stepped into the hallway to the lift.

As they stood waiting for the lift to pick them up, Rose asked him quietly. "What's happened?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. Everything is alright."

She looked at him, "The phone call. Stark?"

He smiled, "He was asking me if he could use something. Nothing I have to rush off for. I was planning on us going home. I know you have to be exhausted. Is that alright?"

The lift dinged and the doors opened to an empty lift before she could answer. He held her hand as they stepped inside. He lifted her hand and kissed it. As soon as the doors closed, he noticed she covered her mouth and lowered her head. She kept her emotions guarded. He pressed the button for the lift to go back up. They were too far underground for him to use his wristband to pop them anywhere.

He looked at her, "Sweetheart. You're not alright. Don't feel that you have to shield anything from me."

Rose looked at him and he realized she was silently crying. Tears flowed down her face. He quickly wrapped his arms around her and held her. Rose buried her face in his chest. She held the front of his jacket tightly as she sobbed. He kissed her head. "Rose. I've got you. You're alright. Shh….."

She held onto him tightly and cried. He tapped his bracelet behind her back and popped them to their bedroom on the island.

XxxXxxXxxXxxXxxXxx

As soon as they popped into their room, Zeus barked at them in surprise. He was lying on the floor next to the bed. Rose was so upset, she seemed unable to walk. The Doctor picked her up, carried her over to the bed and gently lay her down. He sat down next to her and quickly scanned her with his screwdriver.

"Rose, talk to me. What's happened?" He asked her.

She continued to cry as she covered her face and shivered. She still kept her emotions shielded.

Zeus laid his head on the side of the bed and whined. The Doctor looked at the screwdriver's readings. "I'm not certain, Zeus. Give us a bit."

The Doctor lay down in front of Rose and ran his hand across her cheek. "Rose. Come back to me. You are safe. You are here with me. Here in our home. You are alright."

Rose continued to cry as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly.

He spoke to her gently. He held his cheek next to hers and whispered, "Shhh….. calm. Breathe. Deep breath. You're alright. Shhh…"

After a few moments, he felt her start to relax and her shields came down, slowly. She continued to cry, but not as hysterically.

He continued to hold her, "You are safe. I can feel your fear. Rose, dear. Calm down. Tell me what has frightened you."

She trembled in his arms. He kissed her cheek. He spoke in her mind. _'Tell me. Tell me without speaking. You are safe. I'm not letting you go.'_

 _'That was so hard.'_ She said finally in his head.

Then he realized, being in the old lab had brought everything back. The life she had lived before he had gotten there. The consistent fear she had lived with day to day. The consist heartache that he had caused.

He sighed, "Damn. How could I have been so stupid? I'm so sorry, Rose. I shouldn't have let you do that." He continued to hold her tightly and kissed her cheek again.

He pulled back his head to look in her eyes. "Sweetheart, look at me. Please."

She looked at him as he wiped her eyes. "I'm so, so sorry. I didn't think about that. You are safe. Talk to me. Please." He laid his forehead to hers and rubbed her cheek.

Rose closed her eyes tightly. _'It was like this had never happened. Being down there. Seeing them. I halfway expected to turn around and you had disappeared and this was all a dream. And instead I'm back to being kidnapped and hurt….'_

She began to cry again as he held her tightly. He wrapped his leg around hers. "Shhh… no. Never again. You are safe. This is real. It's not a dream."

He kissed her cheek and rubbed her back. She continued to cry and he could feel her exhaustion. He lay his forehead to hers and put his hand to the back of her head. "Sweetheart. You are spent. Shhh…." He whispered to her something she didn't understand. Her eyelids became very heavy. She couldn't keep her eyes open. He whispered to her again, "I'm here. You are safe, in my arms. Rest, my dear. Shhh….."

She fell into a deep sleep and relaxed where she lay.

He kissed her forehead and stood up next to the bed. He looked down at her and put his hands on his hips. "Idiot." He said to himself. "How did you not see that coming? Fucking idiot."

Zeus looked up at him and whined.

"No, not you. Me. You were right about it. She was already tired when we left, then I had to go and have her see those people in that place." He gritted his teeth as he ran both of his hands through his hair. "Ugh. Zeus. I'm really thick. I shouldn't have let her do that."

Zeus looked back up at Rose and whimpered.

"Nah, she'll be fine. I just put her to sleep for a couple of hours. Her mind was so tired, she wouldn't have been able to stop crying. She would eventually cried herself to sleep. I wasn't going to let her do that. No one should ever have to do that." He sighed.

Zeus panted and watched him as he took off his jacket and shirt. He kicked off his shoes under a chair. He walked around the bedroom and rubbed his face. Zeus yawned loudly as he watched the Doctor pace the floor and think.

Zeus whimpered.

The Doctor looked back at him, "That's true. Thanks, Zeus."

The Doctor took Rose's shoes off and put them next to his under the chair. Then he gently took off her jacket. He lay her back down in the bed, and covered her with the duvet.

He looked at Zeus on the floor. "Come on. You can sleep up here with us if you want."

Zeus barked quietly and jumped on the bed. The Doctor lay down facing Rose. Zeus settled down and rested his head on the Doctor's legs.

The Doctor said quietly, "Friday. Dim the lights to 3%."

The lights in the room dimmed.

The Doctor watched Rose sleep. He brushed her hair behind her ear and whispered to her. "Rose. I love you. So much more than I could ever explain. You are safe. No one will ever hurt you again. I'll kill anyone who even tries."

His sudden anger surprised him. He tried not to think of the kidnappings, when she had been hit by the car, when she had been shot and nearly died his arms. He fought back the tears and anger that started to overwhelm him. He pulled her hand to his lips to kiss. He could feel she was relaxed and felt safe. He continued to watch her sleep as he caressed her cheek.

He heard Lewis in his head. _'Sleeping?'_ he asked.

 _'No. Watching Rose sleep.'_ The Doctor smiled as he kissed her forehead and positioned his hand on her cheek. "I'm here, Rose. Everything is alright." He whispered to her.

Lewis spoke. _'Yeah. Arla is sleeping, too. I've been in the bed as long as I can. I'd turn on the telly, but it might wake her. Lance says you have a dead alien.'_

The Doctor chuckled, _'You're on your honeymoon. Don't worry what we're dealing with, man.'_

 _'Oh, that's shit and you know it. What else is going on?'_

 _'Nothing. That's it. We've got it all handled.'_ The Doctor said.

Lewis was quiet for a few minutes. _'Alright, what have you done? You usually are chatting my ear off. If you ever get quiet, that's when you've done something. Why am I going to be pissed? I can already feel it.'_ Lewis asked him.

The Doctor groaned, _'You worry too much, Lewis. Really-'_

 _'You can tell me now, or I can pop my ass back there and hear it with my own ears. What happened?'_ Lewis asked.

The Doctor groaned. _'Jake rang and needed our help working a ship crash. Turns out, it was a time loop, which Rose figured out. We went to Torchwood and got it sorted. I don't believe it's going to be a problem anymore. Poltoius is running a scan right now for me back on the ship. It's alright.'_

 _'Ummm. That doesn't sound that bad. Jack happy to see Jake, huh?'_

 _'Yeah. I suppose. We left and came back home for a few minutes, then popped over to Torchwood.'_ The Doctor bit his lip realizing he had probably just said too much.

 _'Okay. Summus told me that Jackie had Sam, so why did you two pop back unless it was for a quick shag?'_

The Doctor rubbed his face, _'This line of questioning is really uncomfortable to me, man.'_

 _'If you two bounced like that, then you didn't have any of the guard with you at the crash scene or at Torchwood. You going back to the bedroom tells me you were alone. Tell me I'm wrong.'_ Lewis said.

 _'It's scary how you can figure this shit out man. Has Summus imported some part of his brain into yours or someth-'_

 _'Fuck! Fuck! I'm going to kill you myself! What the hell are you thinking going someplace without at least one of the Guard! We're not sure the threat is even over here on Earth! Anything could have happened! You must be out of your damn mind! And Rose just went along with this? She's had bodyguard protection for years! She knew better! I'm going to kill you both! What the actual fuck?'_

The Doctor shook his head and smiled, _'I'm glad I told you. See, I feel better. Thank you, Lewis.'_

 _'Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!'_ Lewis seemed so angry, he couldn't say anything else. Then he started swearing in Quauhtin.

The Doctor smiled as he lay and listened to him. After a few moments, Lewis calmed down.

 _'Better, mate?'_ The Doctor asked.

 _'Hell no! I'm going to kick your ass.'_ Lewis told him.

 _'Well, that's a step up from wanting to kill me. Which, would be against your oath anyway, right?'_

 _'Oh, don't test me, man. My blood pressure is still up and I can always claim temporary insanity. Anyone who has ever served the Tyler family, or you, would support me. Damn it! I can't believe you did that!'_

The Doctor was trying hard not to laugh. _'Tell me. What has Arla said about the twins? Was she happy?'_

Lewis sighed, _'I've not told her.'_

 _'You've not told her!?'_ The Doctor asked him.

Lewis groaned. _'No. I decided to go with the whole, "Let's get married in space as a lovely memory" option. I don't want a woman to marry me because she feels obligated because we have children together. Does that make sense? I don't think that's the best way to start. That's just me, though. Strategic thinking, you know. Makes you over think everything.'_

The Doctor chuckled, _'No, I agree. Wow. What the hell do you two talk about?'_

 _'We're on our honeymoon, mate. There's not a lot of talking happening here. Just saying.'_

 _'Good for you, mate. Doing it right.'_ The Doctor teased him.

 _'Oh, shut up. Maybe she will just think the pregnancy started here. That's what I hope, at least. You haven't told anyone else, have you?'_

The Doctor smiled, _'No one. Not even Rose. It's just between us, mate.'_

 _'What an odd secret to have with you.'_ Lewis declared.

The Doctor chuckled.

Lewis asked. _'Alright…I'm calm. Rose went to Torchwood. I know she was with you. Tell me she stayed with you the entire time.'_

The Doctor kissed her hand again as he continued to watch her sleep. _'She did. We went downstairs to her old lab.'_

 _'Ugh. I always hated it down there. Felt like a dudgeon. Something about being underground that just makes you feel, I don't know, backed in a corner.'_

 _'I thought her lab was upstairs. In that big room. Near the top.'_

Lewis explained. _'There were two. She started out downstairs, but then moved upstairs to the room you are more familiar with. She said they needed more room. I honestly don't remember her ever wanting to be downstairs a lot at all. Kind of odd now that I think about it. She didn't even move her office herself when she moved upstairs. Huh. I wonder if there's something to that?'_

 _'She's always had Quauhtin protection. We would have known had something happened.'_

Lewis corrected him. _'No, that's not 100% accurate. When she first got here, we were working at Torchwood with Mickey and Jake. But, we were not assigned to the Tyler family's protection for several months after she was here. After the danger of her protection became apparent.'_

The Doctor's heart sank. _'Let me get this straight. This lab we were in, she had been there before, on her own without bodyguard protection? That's correct?'_

Lewis agreed. _'Yeah. That's what I'm saying. I've never thought about it, but…. Has she said anything?'_

The Doctor continued to watch Rose sleep and stroked her cheek. _'No. She kept her shields up the entire time we were there. Then, she became upset when we left. Lewis, what are you thinking?'_

 _'How upset did she get?'_

 _'Scale 1-10, maybe an 8?'_

 _'Let's not jump to conclusions. But, it does add up. Let me have a think on it. You are watching her sleep? So, you've been able to calm her down. Ummm. Well, knowing you, you just pushed her into a deep sleep.'_

 _'It's really scary how good you are at this, man.'_

 _'Damn. I can't even believe this. Damn! I'm gone one night and this shit happens!'_

 _'Lewis, believe it or not, I do know what I'm doing here.'_

 _'Fuck you do! This is going to probably set her back quite a bit. But, I'm sure you've already figured that.'_

 _'We can't keep her from everything that is going to trigger a memory, Lewis. I just have to be there for her when these things happen. There are things she's never told me. Have you told me everything? The kidnappings, ransoms, car accident, that's it, right?'_

 _'Sword fighting incident? You know about that too, right?'_

 _'Yeah, that I know about. Seems like there's more. Something she's not telling me.'_

 _'Sometimes it's better not to know.'_

 _'There was something. I don't remember what it was. She accidently showed it to me when we joined. I know it was something…..unspeakable. I blocked it from her memory and removed it from mine.'_

 _'Maybe she's unblocked it and is dealing with it on her own? Do you think it's something to do with that lab?'_ Lewis asked.

 _'Nah, it was something that happened when she was traveling to find me. What if there is something else? She's been taking medicine for depression and has quit. In fact, hang on a bit.'_

The Doctor pulled his screwdriver out of his pocket and changed a setting on it. He scanned Rose and looked at the results. _'Ugh. That's some of it. She's still not taking the damn medicine. This stubborn woman!'_

Lewis spoke. _'You're going to have to give it her. Force her to take it.'_

The Doctor sighed, _'No. That's a good way to get my ass kicked. Terrible plan.'_

The Doctor rolled on his back and dug in his pockets. He pulled out injectors and placed them on his bare chest. They all looked the same.

 _'I'll give her an injection tonight, but I'm going to talk to her about it tomorrow. Damn. I have five. They all look the same.'_ He rubbed his beard, then tasted each of the injectors.

Lewis' voice asked, _'You're licking something, aren't you?'_

 _'Yeah, that tastes like her. That's the one she used.'_

Lewis sighed, _'I'm trying not to gag here, mate.'_

The Doctor put the other injectors in his pocket and gave Rose an injection in her throat. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "You're alright. Rest, sweetheart."

He put the injector back in his pocket and rolled back over to face her again. He caressed her cheek again as he watched her sleep.

 _'Wait a bit. You can just look in her mind and see it.'_

 _'I wouldn't do that. That's an invasion of her privacy. I want to know, but only if she wants me to know. I refuse to do that to her.'_

 _'Yeah, you're right. Good man. Better than me. I'd have to have a look.'_

He bit his lip as he stroked her cheek. He whispered, "What happened to you, sweetheart? You know you can tell me."

Lewis spoke. _'By the way, surfing. Yeah. I think I've figured that out. I'll show you when we get back. I think you'll like it. It will keep you from drinking. Rose will like that. She's still got you on a break?'_

The Doctor sighed _, 'Like it is Prohibition. Ironically, a period in Earth's history with the best drinks available.'_

Lewis laughed, _'I have no idea what you are talking about, but alright.'_

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxx


	36. Chapter 36 - Keeping Up Spirits

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxx

Chapter 37 - Keeping Up Spirits

Lewis and the Doctor chatted for a long while about everything going on. Finally, Lewis decided to go to get something to eat for him and Arla. The Doctor continued to watch Rose sleep. Being in the comfortable, warm silk sheets with the breeze blowing in on them from the opened window was extremely tranquil. The Doctor listened to the waves crash into the shore outside and was lulled to sleep.

A little while later, Rose woke up. When she opened her eyes, she immediately saw the face of her beloved. He was in a deep slumber and looked so peaceful. She felt a weight on her cheek and moved her hand to see what it was, only to realize he held her hand. She gently slipped her hand out of his, and picked up his other hand off of her cheek. She remembered how upset she had been when he had brought her home and suddenly felt embarrassed. Why had she reacted so dramatically? Wasn't that behind her?

She looked at his face and brought his hand up to her mouth to kiss. He slept on. She saw he was without his shirt again, and rubbed his chest. His skin was cooler than usual. She pulled the duvet up to his shoulder and rubbed his chest. He seemed to relax even more as he took a deep breath and continued to sleep.

She remembered the sweets he had. She carefully reached in his pocket and found a bag of Jelly Babies he hadn't opened yet. She rolled over on her back and ate some of the sweets. When she placed the bag on the table next to the bed, she found her lip gloss. She quickly put some on and lay back down in front of him, placing her forehead to his.

She watched him sleep for a few moments, studying every freckle and every whisker of his beard that he kept very short and groomed. The laser razor he had gotten back on Plentitude kept him from having to shave for days. She felt the smoothness of his skin where he had trimmed the hair. She had told him that Tony Stark and he had almost looked like twins when they were on CNN together due to their beards. Although, the Doctor's beard covered more of his face than Tony's did.

Rose ran her fingers across his beard, feeling the coarseness of the short hairs. She leaned in and kissed his lips. The first time, she kissed sleeping lips. The second time she kissed him, his lips kissed her back. She smiled as he opened his eyes and looked at her.

He put his hand back on her cheek and kissed her again. He whispered to her. "Are you alright? Rose I'm so sorry."

She smiled at him and said quietly. "There's nothing for you to be sorry about. I knew where I was going. I overreacted."

"No, you didn't. I know that had to be hard to be down there. Rose, that part of your life is over. You don't have to be frightened anymore. Not ever. I'm here and I'm not going to let anything hurt you. Not ever. This is real, my dear. I sometimes fear I'm dreaming this, too. But, Rose. This is real. You. Me. Genie and Sam. You are safe here. With me. I'm with you. I'm not running. Never again."

She kissed him again. She licked his lips as he opened his mouth and she slipped her tongue inside to dance with his. He smiled at her, "You taste like sweets. Have you been in my pockets?"

She smiled at him, "Maybe."

He chuckled at her as he kissed her again and licked her lips. He smiled slowly. "Lip gloss. What are you trying to talk me into?"

She reached down and unbuttoned his trousers, "Something that might help with your stress."

"Sweetheart, I'm so relaxed right now." He caught her lips again and kissed her. They both breathed heavy as they enjoyed a lovely snog. Rose didn't notice him unbutton her shirt and unfasten her bra until he had cupped both of her breasts. He teased the nipples with his thumbs. "Oh, I've missed this. It's okay, right?"

She rolled her eyes at him. "Of course it is. I'm yours. Why do you always ask?"

He laughed at her quietly, "I love you. Have I told you that today? Well, tonight? It's only 5:43. That's still night, isn't it?"

Rose giggled as she sat up and took off her shirt and bra. She looked up and her mouth dropped open. "Did you know the door is open?"

He laughed as he quickly rolled out of the bed and rushed over the door. He closed it and twisted the lock. He took off his trousers and pants and climbed back into the bed with Rose. He pulled the duvet back over himself. She had taken off her clothes as he had dealt with door. He smiled at her as they sat in the bed and held one another. He looked from her eyes to her lips. "What would you like to do? It's completely up to you."

She bit her lip as she rubbed his chest. He looked down at her breasts. "You do what you would like. I know what I want to do, but that will have to be a bit later."

She sent an image to his mind. He laughed quietly, "You like doing that? Really?"

"I have something I want to try out. Plus, I know it's your favorite thing."

He looked in her eyes and told her quietly, "My favorite thing is giving you pleasure. Making you feel like the incredible, sexy woman that you are. Where you will cry out like a porn star when I'm deep inside of you." He almost seemed to growl at her.

She bit her lip as she looked at him. "Then do it."

He held her cheeks with both of his hands and laid her back into the pillows. They continued their snog. She stroked his already stiff staff as he fingered her. He teased a new spot she had never felt him tease before. It was right outside of her opening.

He smiled at her. "I know you are going to ask me why there. Just trust me, you will love this. In fact, Friday, play some music. Something from the Shagging playlist."

Friday said, "What else is there, sir?" "Undenied" by Portishead began to play.

She smiled at him. "I do trust you."

He continued to tease the area as he kissed her neck and chest. As he continued, it became extremely sensitive. Before she knew it, she had cried out. The organism had came all at once. His muffled voice told her. "Get used to that feeling. It's going to last about fifteen minutes."

Rose covered her face and cried out again. He nibbled her breasts and kissed her chest as he continued to tease the area that was causing her such pleasure. The song changed to "Free Falling" by John Mayer. She pulled the pillow over to her face so she could cry out louder. He smiled at her and shook his head.

He slipped inside of her and thrust very slowly, and deep. He took the pillow away from her and returned to kissing her lips. She started to breathe more evenly. He looked in her eyes and asked her, "Have you caught your breath?"

She smiled, "Yes."

The music changed to Van Halen's "Why Can't This Be Love." The Doctor narrowed his eyes for a bit, but shrugged it off. He continued to stroke slowly and snog her, then began to tease the area again. It was as if it was waiting to him to flip the switch again. Rose seemed to forget how to kiss him as her lips quivered. He smiled as he felt her enjoyment and heard her organism return.

He kissed her chest and nibbled at both of her breasts as the song ended and changed to Tina Turner's "Private Dancer." He stopped teasing the area as he continued to stroke slowly inside of her. Rose raised her hand and held his cheek as he looked at her face.

Rose asked him quietly, "Something is on your mind. I can tell. What is it? Police scanner?"

He shook his head and stopped stroking for a bit. "No. I'm just a bit surprised. You listen to Van Halen? Tina Turner?"

Rose pointed at the ceiling, "You mean, this music?" She laughed, "No. This is your music. This isn't mine."

He pointed at himself. "Hell, it's not mine! Are you serious? It isn't yours?"

She smiled at him. "None of this music that has played has been mine. It's all yours."

The Doctor held up a finger. "Hang on. Friday. Play the next song."

The song changed to Tina Turner's "GoldenEye."

He pointed at Rose and asked. "Yours?"

She laughed as she relaxed in the pillows, "No. But, that's very James Bond. I think that's from those movies, isn't it?"

"Ugh! Friday, turn off the music." He said as he ran his hands through his sweaty hair.

Rose looked confused at him. "Technical difficulties?"

He sat back and put his hands on his hips. "Yeah. Let's go with that. Please. Don't make me explain."

Rose giggled at him. She stood up on her knees to reach his lips. She kissed him quickly. "We're not finished. Let me finish you off."

He looked back at her, surprised. "You were serious about that? Really?"

She smiled with her tongue in her teeth as she pushed him back in the pillows. "I never joke around about the stuff you love. Get comfortable. How much longer can you last?"

"Depends." He told her.

She asked him, "Maybe about five more minutes?"

He smiled at her, "Of course."

She giggled as he watched her reach in her bedside table and pull out a tube. She put some of it in her hands and rubbed it on his erect staff. "This. Will make you taste like strawberries. Even when you finish."

He looked surprised. "Really?"

She smiled at him, "Like a minty strawberry. Is it getting cool yet?" She leaned down and blew on it.

His eyes rolled back in his head. He exclaimed something in Gallifreyan. She giggled at him as she took him in her mouth and sucked. She ran her tongue around his tip as he fought the urge to scream as loud as he could. He panted and called her name. She only seemed to suck harder and go deeper on him. He grabbed a pillow and put it over his face. Rose heard his muffled moans. She watched his toes curl up, then he let out a very loud, monstrous growl.

Rose lay down on top of him. She tossed the pillow off of his face. He looked at her as he tried to catch his breath. She asked, "You're alright, right?"

He nodded his head and panted. "I'm fine. Brain still working. Sort of."

Rose smiled at him as he held her. "Thank you for taking care of me last night."

"Don't thank me for that. I wasn't taking care of you like I should have. Lewis was proper cross when I told him what we did. He threatened to kill me himself."

"Why did you tell him that? Geez!" Rose asked him.

"You forget who I'm talking about. Just breathe something in his direction and he figures it out. I'm glad he's on our side. Damn." He covered his face and took a deep breath.

Rose ran her fingertips up and down his chest. He formed goose bumps where she touched. He took her hand and held it in his. "Sweetheart. I have to tell you something. But, it's a very big secret…you can't tell anyone."

She smiled at him, "You have a middle name?"

He laughed quietly, "Damn. You are cheeky today. No."

She laughed at him. "Shall I take the integration position?"

He smiled like a loon. "Oh, that would be great. I can see you better."

She giggled as she sat down on his waist. She wrapped up her hair behind her head. He reached up and ran his hands up her chest.

"You are so beautiful. How am I so lucky to be the one laying here, trying to catch my breath?" He asked her.

She leaned down and kissed him, "Okay, secret. Tell me. It will stay between us."

He bit his lip. "Well. I'm happy about it, but I don't know how you will feel about it. I worry it will make you….. sad. Promise if I tell you this, you will talk to me about it. Just me. No one else can know. Don't be sad and cry without me knowing. No one should ever cry by themselves. Especially you. You've done that for too long. You promise me?"

She kissed him again and whispered, "I love you. Stop treating me like a child. Tell me what this secret is?"

He smiled at her, and kissed both of her hands. "Lewis and Arla are pregnant with twins. Lewis knows, but Arla doesn't."

Rose covered her mouth in surprise. "You are joking!"

Relieved at her reaction he laughed, "No. I'm not. That's the reason they got married so quickly. Lewis would have been out of the Guard if it was discovered before they were married. It's a …. I don't remember. He told me."

Rose laughed. "How the hell does he know, and you know, and Arla doesn't?"

He smiled. "You really don't have to think about that hard to figure it out."

"You told him. When did you find out?"

He smiled at her as he held her hips. "Before we left. That morning. I felt it when she was making breakfast downstairs."

Rose laughed. "I'm so happy for them."

He sat up and held her. He felt her warm, sweaty, nude body against his own. The happiness of the news seemed to bleed from her into him. He held her and closed his eyes tightly, trying to breath in every moment. "Oh, Rose. I love this. Let's stay like this for all of time."

She leaned back to look in his eyes. "Why did you think I would be sad about this?"

He bit his lip and thought. "I worried you would be sad about it because of our situation. How we might not be able to have any more children."

Rose shook her head. "Any child with you was always going to be a miracle. I knew that from the beginning. Our Sam is a miracle. Any other children we might have one day, will be a miracle too. I'm not going to try, and I'm not going to prevent. What happens, happens. As I see it, we're the same as we were before Sam was born. Right?"

He smiled at her. "That's right. Nothing really changed."

She smiled at him. "See. We might get lucky again. Come on. Let's go take a shower. I want you to shave my legs for me."

He stroked her legs. "They feel smooth to me. I used that laser razor last time. Are you sure?"

She kissed him again. "We are going to a State Dinner. Do you mind?"

He smiled as his hands rubbed her thighs, "I don't mind at all. Of course I will. I love any reason to touch you some more."

She got out of the bed and walked toward the bathroom. He tossed the duvet back across the bed and joined her.

When he got into the bathroom, he turned on the shower and let it get warm. Within a few minutes, he got in. Rose finished brushing her teeth and joined him in the shower.

She ran her hands through his hair kissed him. "I hope my breath didn't make that….."

He shook his head and chuckled. "It didn't. You ate those sweets. That's all I could taste."

She kissed him again. He smiled at her. "Spearmint. I love that toothpaste."

She teased his bum with her fingertips, "I find that so strange that you don't have morning breath."

He smiled, "I explained that. My saliva has proteins in it that clean and strengthen my teeth. We kiss so much, that you have it all over your teeth now too."

Rose shook her head in disbelief. "Okay, that just sounds weird."

He ran his hands through his hair under the water and laughed. "That's probably the reason I only tasted sweets. Your teeth had gotten cleaned when we kissed last night. Then you fell asleep. I mean, it was a lot of snogging."

She giggled at him. "And some quick shagging."

He laughed, "Yes. Indeed. Good shagging, too. Totally worth getting yelled at by Lewis."

"You said I sounded like a porn star?" Rose asked.

He stood still and Rose felt his shock. "Nah. I don't remember saying that. Doesn't sound like me."

"How do you know what a porn star sounds like?" Rose teased him.

He laughed as he shook his head. "Oh the gods! This woman is not asking me this while she stands there in the nude."

Rose laughed, "Oh, she is!"

He held her hips and smiled. He took a deep breath. "Okay, ask. I know you're going to. I'll tell you everything."

Rose smiled at him. "How much porn did you watch while I was sick?"

He bit his lip and shook his head. "I can't believe this. I wonder which one of the guys win the pool? Damn them."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and teased his bum with her fingertips again. "There's nothing wrong with it. I'm not going to be cross. Are you blushing?"

He held her and groaned. "The guys got it for me after they found out we couldn't have sex. I'm surprised they haven't said something about it already."

Rose laughed at him. "Did they really?"

He nodded his head, "Yes. Several different ones. Jack will hate that he missed out on that one."

Rose covered her mouth and laughed in surprise. "How many did they get you?"

He cleared his throat. "One….."

"One? You said several."

"One a day. Everyday, until Sam was born. A different one."

"That was five months! They could find that many different ones?"

"Lewis got Stark involved. Then they got better. Apparently, he … well, nevermind. But, there are 169 in all. There was only 164 days but, Stark insisted on ending with 169. Don't ask why."

She laughed, "Oh, I can guess. Did you watch them all?"

He groaned. "No. Just…..some of them."

"Ahh…. You did. Took care of yourself when I couldn't huh?" Rose teased him.

He chuckled. "I prefer to think of it as research."

"Now that sounds like Tony. Did you watch any of these with your mates?"

"Ew! No. Men don't do that. Ew. At least, I don't. I think everyone watched them though."

"So, somewhere. You have almost 200 dirty movies. Are they here?"

He bit his lip and laughed, "They are someplace safe. Well, I thought they were."

Rose smiled, "Oh my God. Explain yourself."

He laughed, "I put them all with the TARDIS. I knew no one goes in there, so that seemed logical to keep the children from finding them. The door is secure, you know. All of that. I put up a shelf in there that covers a wall. It's completely full. Whenever they gave me another one, I just put it on the shelf. The shop was the first thing completed out here, so they have been here since the collection grew out of a drawer in the bedroom. I had honestly forgotten about it, or wasn't thinking or something. And I asked Pete to take care of the TARDIS when we went to Plentitude."

Rose covered her mouth and laughed, "Oh. My. God! What did he say?"

He was surprised. I think his words were, "Damn, son! You're going to hurt yourself!"

Rose laughed at him hysterically. "This is the funniest shit I've ever heard."

"Oh, I had to explain the situation. It did look bad."

Rose laughed at him. "What did he say after you explained?"

He ran his hands through his hair and laughed, "Oh, you wouldn't believe it. He went and doubled the damn collection. He just had to do one better to wind me up. I have to build another shelf. It's out of hand."

Rose laughed so hard she sat down on the bench in the shower. "That's the funniest thing I've ever heard. Oh wow."

He laughed as he shook his head. "I've not counted but, apparently there are now 346. So, a bit more than double."

Rose laughed as she stood up and put her hands on his cheeks. She kissed him quickly. "I'll watch one with you if you want."

He bit his lip and considered. "I don't know. That's a bit….strange."

Rose giggled at him. "Strange, huh? You've never watched one of those with anyone, have you?"

He shook his head. "Nah. That's a private sort of thing."

"Think about it. The offer is there if you want to."

He looked surprised at her. Then shook his head. "Nah. That would just be….. " He said something in a strange language.

Rose looked at him, "What wasn't how you normally sound. What language was that?"

He closed his eyes tightly. "Damn. The language of these…ummm…. prostitutes … someplace. Oh, please don't ask me anything else about this."

Rose kissed him and laughed. "I can't believe you told me all that you did. I'm so glad you have mates that keep your spirits up."

"I don't think it was my spirits they were really concerned with."

"Oh. You didn't just say that." Rose laughed as she washed his hair.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxxxx


	37. Chapter 37 – Full English

_Remember, the soundtrack of this book (and the previous ones) is available on Spotify under a playlist called, "bendermom FH Soundtrack." Otherwise, look up the music on YouTube. :) Thank you for the reviews._

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxxxx

Chapter 38 – Full English

The Doctor could smell coffee as he walked into the kitchen. He was wearing his jeans and a dark green jumper. He pushed the sleeves up on his forearms and ran his hands through his wet hair.

Jack was standing at the stove wearing a red apron that said, "Kiss the Cook." He offered the Doctor a cup of coffee. "Good morning, dear. Your coffee." He smiled.

The Doctor took it from him, "Thank you."

Stark sat at the bar with Logan, Legate and Jake. All of them were tucking into a Full English. The Doctor pointed at their plates and asked Jack. "Did you cook that?"

Jack shook his head. "Nah. Summus got the food replicators to speak English."

Shakes was sitting at the table in the corner with Lance, Poloitus, Timon and Adriano. They were all eating breakfast, too. Shakes smiled back at the Doctor. "I know you have been too busy. I routed it through your ship. Not a big deal."

The Doctor smiled as he sipped his coffee. He pointed at Adriano. "Hey, aren't you supposed to be with Caroline?"

Adriano pointed up. "She came here a little while ago. I insisted. She's not slept since Howie was first taken to the hospital. She's upstairs. Bassanio is with Miles, that Chief of Staff guy."

Poloitus sipped his tea, "That void hole is closed. There shouldn't be anymore problems."

Lance held up his drink. "I've got the Princess in the room next to Summus, downstairs at the house. Then, Licis next to her. Mortimer and Talbot are in London at the flat. Security quarters. Everyone is sorted. Logan has an apartment out with us."

Legate smiled, "Yep! Out with the cool crowd! Even if it is next to Lewis. He's quiet when he's home. Don't worry about it, Logan."

Logan laughed quietly.

The Doctor sipped his coffee and ran his hand through his wet hair. "That's fine. Good man. Thanks guys. That takes care of half of the things on my mind. Wow."

The Doctor raised himself up and sat down on the kitchen cabinet. Jack asked him. "Hungry?"

He shook his head. "Not really." He looked at Stark as if he just seemed to realize he was there. "Hang on. What are you doing here?"

Tony looked up at him, surprised. "Having breakfast. I've not had this stuff in years."

The Doctor laughed at him. "You've ate a Full English before?"

Tony nodded at him. "Yeah. Quite a lot. Needs mushrooms with the tomatoes, though."

Pete walked into the room. "Good morning, men!" He looked around. "Damn. Where are all of the ladies? This room is full of testosterone."

Jack laughed as he handed him a cuppa. "Your tea, Pete."

Pete laughed, "Thank you, Jack. What's everyone eating? It smells good down here."

Jake pointed at the Shakes. "Summus fixed the food replicator. We're all tucking into a Full English now."

Pete looked surprised. "Really? Hell, that does sound good."

Jack held his hand out. "I'll get you one Pete."

Pete thanked Jack as he looked across the bar. Seeing all of the seats full, he leaned against the cabinet next to where the Doctor sat. He sipped his tea. "Tony. I didn't know you would enjoy a Full English."

Tony held out his hands, "Why is everyone on my case? Is this 'National Pick on the American in the Room Day'?"

Several of the men laughed. Legate sipped his tea and told Tony. "Of course it is. You didn't get the memo?"

Tony wiped his mouth and sat up in the chair. "Then on behalf of every American, kiss my red, white and blue ass." Tony smiled.

The room laughed. The Doctor sipped his coffee and looked at Logan. "Logan, have you met my father in law, Pete?"

Pete looked at Logan and smiled. He reached over the bar and shook his hand. "Pete Tyler. It's a pleasure to meet you, Logan. I've heard good things."

Logan looked a little intimated in Pete's presence. He managed to smile and say, "Thank you, sir."

The Doctor pointed at Logan. "Pete, the reason your son didn't bleed to death when he had his accident is because of Poltious and Logan. They administered first aid and got the bleeding under control so they could move him. Logan took off his own shirt and held pressure to Tony's leg, until I could put it back together in surgery. These two really saved the day."

Pete looked surprised back at Logan and Poltious. "Really? Wow! Hell. Well, thank you men! I'm rather speechless. Huh."

Logan smiled as Legate patted him the back. The room became noisy with all of the different conversations going on at once.

Jack brought over a plate and handed it to Pete. Pete leaned against the cabinet and ate. He looked at the Doctor. "You're not eating, son?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah. I had two bags of sweets last night. I'm fine."

Pete chuckled at him. "You eat more sweets than my Tony does."

The Doctor smiled, "That's a good thing. I need to try to get him on his feet today."

Pete shook his head. "He's upstairs in the bed. He asked me if he could stay there and watch football. We'll get him sorted later today. I think he's still too frightened to walk on it."

"Hmm…. Maybe he is."

Pete continued to stand and eat off his plate that he held in his hand. The Doctor picked the bacon off of it and ate it. Pete pointed at the sausage link. "Take that one, too."

The Doctor took it off of his plate, "Cheers."

The Doctor finished his sausage and spoke. "Alright. I have an announcement. I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to come out with it. You damn Quauhtin bet on everything, so I know there is a pool about Rose finding out about the Daily DVD Delivery. She just found out, so whoever had today has won the pool."

Logan's eyes lit up. "Are you serious, Doctor Smith?!"

The Doctor was surprised. Logan had only known him a short time and wasn't in on the porn DVDs.

Jack crossed his arms, "Yes. I'm pissed I'm just finding out about this."

Jake shook his head, "Ah, we can still get him some. I know a few he might like."

"I think I'm good, guys. Thanks." The Doctor looked confused. "Logan. How do you know about this?"

Logan blushed. "Well, they were talking about it right before you came down here. They said today was the only day no one had put their name on. So, I asked if I could have it."

Jack sipped his coffee. "I didn't have any cash on me, otherwise it would have been mine. Damn. And these are some high rollers in here. Logan, you might have won enough for a college education."

Legate laughed, "Yes, Logan. Lesson one when hanging around with this lot, always have some cash on you. Quauhtin are huge gamblers. I need to teach you to play Peducko."

Lance's eyes lit up. "Yeah! Let's do that!"

The Doctor laughed in disbelief and poured himself another cup of coffee. "I don't believe this. You lot are already corrupting this young man?"

All of the men in the room laughed. Logan was in shock. "I paid in $100. Damn. How much did I even win?"

Shakes stood up and in his deep, booming voice told them all. "Alright. Pay up. Logan wins."

All of the Quauhtin stopped eating and took out their wallets. They all walked over, gave Logan the money and patted him on the back. Tony and Pete both opened their wallets and gave him cash, too. Logan's eyes got bigger with each bill that was handed to him. Nothing was smaller than a $100.

The Doctor sipped his coffee and shook his head in disbelief. "Damn, Logan. How much did you make?"

Logan counted his money. He was shocked. "Looks like almost…. $28,700. I've never even seen this much money in one place."

Lance slapped the table in excitement. "Hell yeah! Peducko tonight!"

The Doctor shook his head at Logan. "You better put yourself on a limit if you play Peducko with Lance, or he will have all of your money. Friendly advice, mate. Trust me."

Logan chuckled, "Thank you, Doctor Smith."

Tony leaned over. "I owe you $700 more. Don't worry. I'm good for it. I'll go by a bank and settle up with you later. That's not everyone though, is it?"

Legate shook his head. "No. You've still got several more of the Guard and Howie's money coming to you. And Jackie Tyler."

The Doctor spit his coffee across the kitchen. "What?! Jackie Tyler knows about this?"

Pete laughed at his reaction as he tucked into his plate. "Yeah. She's going to be proper pissed to. She bought an entire week. She was determined to win just so she could embarrass you. Had Rose found out yesterday, she would have won." Pete turned to Logan. "I owe you $7,000 from her. I'll go by the bank and get some cash."

Stark leaned over and told Logan, "Make sure it's cash from Pete. Not a check."

Pete flipped Stark the bird.

Logan, Legate, The Doctor and Stark all laughed.

Logan was in shock. "Damn. I've never won anything in my life!"

The Doctor pointed at Logan. "Don't tell your Mum we're betting on my porn collection. She'll be proper pissed we didn't let her in on it."

Lance groaned. "Ugh…. Well….."

The Doctor looked at Lance. "Don't say it."

Lance looked at Logan. "Your Mum owes you $200."

The Doctor held out his hands in shock. "Michelle knew, too!?"

Lance laughed. "Oh yeah. She was in charge of preventing the duplicates. Oh, Lewis says he'll pay you once he gets back. He asks for me to congratulate you, Logan."

Logan was speechless. The Doctor pulled out his wallet and handed Logan some money. "That will cover Lewis, and your mum. Never ask a woman for money, Logan."

Jack held up his hand, "Now, just wait a damn minute." They all looked at him curiously. "Stark is an American. Pete and Logan are British. And everyone else in this room is….sortof British….."

Legate looked shocked, "I've been insulted."

Lance shrugged his shoulders, "I've been called worse."

Pete and the Doctor chuckled at them.

Jack continued, "How are you all using the same currency?"

The Doctor chuckled as he sipped his coffee. "You handle this one, Pete."

Pete crossed his arms. "I always have to explain this to you Prime Dimensioners'? Well, here…. The nations of the world, who are also members of the United Nations, share the same currency. There's only what, Stark? Three countries not on the dollar system now?"

Stark nodded his head as he sipped his tea. "Something like that. There's not many. Russia is still on their own thing. North Korea and Thailand. Everyone else uses the dollar. Just makes trade easier."

Pete held his tea and nodded his head. "Yes. The President of the United States pushed for it years ago. He thought that it created more trust and would promote more trade between the different countries. When was it? Fourteen years ago?"

Stark nodded his head, "I don't remember. That sounds right."

Logan chuckled. "Damn. What else are you lot betting on?"

The Doctor looked at Pete. "Well, at least he's getting more comfortable with us."

Pete smiled at him. "He'll be fine. What did Rose say?"

Tony pointed at them with his bit of toast. "I bet she pissed. Pepper would be."

Jack shook his head. "I don't think Rose would be. I think she would find it funny."

The Doctor pointed at Jack. "She did. She thought it was hilarious. But, on this subject. My damn music. Tina Turner?"

Stark laughed under his breath. "Former secret agent doesn't like to shag to James Bond music?"

Pete laughed as he sipped his tea, "I shouldn't laugh at this. They told me what they did."

Jack crossed his arms and smiled proudly. "How did you like the Rod Stewart? Logan picked that one."

The Doctor looked back at Logan in shock. "He what?!"

Jack laughed as he started to sing, "If you want my body. And you think I'm sexy, come on baby, let me know."

The room laughed.

Logan threw his arms out. "I don't know what they are talking about, man! I swear I had nothing to do with it."

Pete had sat his tea down and covered his face to keep anyone from seeing him laugh. It didn't help.

The Doctor sighed as he sat on top of the cabinet. "And, I'll say it again. For the record, I was not, nor have I ever been, a secret agent. Geez, you lot."

Jake laughed at him, "That's what you would say even if you were!"

Jack laughed, "You? A secret agent? What did I miss when we were gone?"

Stark pointed at Jack. "It's on YouTube. I'll help you find it. Entertainment gold."

Seeing where the conversation was going, the Doctor waved his hand, "Never mind about all of that. I'm sure someone will fill you in about it. All of that to side, we all need to have a chat. I'm looking for everyone's input."

Shakes held up his tea, "Go on then."

The Doctor continued, "I love this place, and I love living out here. I feel like my family and all of us are safe. However, the time zones differences are a problem. I didn't take that into consideration when we built out here. We have to go back to Washington and it's already noon there. In London, it is currently 5:00 pm. That's 11 hours ahead of us. We have this State Dinner thing there in a few hours. That side of the world is sleeping, when we are awake. It's a problem."

Pete nodded his head. "I agree. Plus, Torchwood is there, Genie's ballet, and the mansion."

The Doctor agreed, "I'm not really used to sleeping, neither are the Guard. But, some of us do need to sleep and this just isn't going to work when we are going to London so often."

Pete nodded his head. "You make a good point. What do you have in mind, son?"

Jack waved his hand. "No. You're forgetting the plague and the war. This is as far as you can get from that."

The Doctor shook his head as he sipped his coffee. "That's not a very long time from now. Don't scare the mortals."

Tony looked at Pete. "Do you feel insulted? Or is it just me?"

Pete rolled his eyes. "You get used to it around here."

Shakes asked, "What if we just move back to the flat in London?"

The Doctor rubbed his beard, "The flat in London is really too small for everyone now. We haven't even moved Arla in. We probably need to build onto here."

Legate looked back at the table. "Father. Are their islands similar to this one on the other side of this planet?"

Polotius sipped his coffee. "I'm sure there are, son. Do you want us to look for another island for you, Doc'?"

Tony suggested, "Build another house? I still owe you something, man."

The Doctor waved his hand. "I don't want another house. This one is perfect; the problem is just the location."

Shakes shrugged his shoulders. "Then just scoop it."

Jack held his hands out and smiled, "Why didn't I think of that? You have a scoop on your ship, don't you?"

The Doctor said, "Well, it does. But, that won't work. The scoop on my ship isn't big enough to….. oh! That's right. We have two. Mine and yours, Summus."

Shakes nodded his head. "Yes. And Legate's ship has a directional beam relay. He could pinpoint positioning with it."

Legate smiled nervously. "I've never done anything this damn big. Hell, I've never even seen it done."

The Doctor waved his hand. "I've done something bigger, with my old ship. That would work."

Jack rubbed his hands together in excitement, "Yeah. That would totally work! It's no big deal."

Pete and Tony were both holding up their hands and stop the conversation. "Wait. Hang on a minute." They were both saying.

Tony pointed at himself and Pete. "Stop. Earth boys are not following. What the hell are you talking about, man?"

Pete looked confused. "You said, 'a scoop'?"

Timon nodded his head, "It's used in colony relocation."

The Doctor nodded his head. "There's different sorts. Rain scoops, laser scoops, all sorts."

Pete asked, "So, you would do what, exactly? Move the island?"

They all shook their head.

The Doctor explained, "No. Well, some scoops do that, but ours won't. That would be too invasive. Plus, it would fill up the buffer. We would find an island over there, closer to that time zone. Then transport this house, workshop, apartments, everything….. over there."

Tony seemed shocked. "What? Just move the entire house? Just beam it over there?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes, "It's not beaming. A beam is something else. I could use Legate's ship to pinpoint the landing to make sure everything arrives in the right place. You watch too much telly."

Pete crossed his arms. "This is the maddest idea I've ever heard. You're just going to move the house?"

Jack laughed, "The Doc's done it before. Entire villages."

The Doctor shook his head, "But, that was with the TARDIS. Not using this technology."

Logan seemed to be extremely interested. He cleared his throat. "Well, Doctor Smith. I'm curious. And I might just be showing my extreme ignorance with this but….. well…"

The Doctor asked, "What's your idea, Logan?"

"Well, Lewis explained to me that transporting was like sending an attachment in an email. The signal is compressed, then sent to the spot and reassembled."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yeah, that's right."

Logan continued, "What if you found another island, and then copied this house to it? Couldn't you do that? It's the same principle. You just wouldn't have one disappear. Instead of 'cut and paste', you just 'copy and paste'."

Jack looked back at the Doctor in surprise. "Like they did with the Stiseb tribe."

There was a groan from the room.

Logan noticed. "So, you have thought about that."

The Doctor thought as he rubbed his chin. "That didn't work because it was living targets. This is a non-living object. Timon, you would know this. If we removed all living and organic matter from the equation, could we copy the house with Summus and my ship? My scoop is a Version 8. What is Summus'? An 8?"

Timon thought, "I'm not sure. If that's the case, it would very close. The buffer would see it as double the load. But, you could …."

The Doctor figured it out. "Route it through the other smaller ships. Tie them together! Yes! That could work!"

Timon laughed, "Certainly! You could have two houses. Two islands. Just alike!"

The Doctor looked at Stark, "Two reactors. Anything we need to be worried about with that?"

Stark leaned back in the chair and thought. "Just be gentle and don't crack the internal case. Otherwise, it's pretty hardy."

The Doctor pointed at Stark, "Hear that you lot? That's the main concern."

Pete held his hand out. "Wait a minute, son. Are you saying you are going to copy this house? Clone it?"

The Doctor smiled, "That's exactly what I'm saying. Great idea, Logan! We just have to take all the living things out of it. Well, that's not a bad idea anyway."

Pete smiled at him, "Like your plant."

The Doctor pointed at him. "Yes! Oh wow. That would be very bad. Very, very. Not good."

Jack looked curiously at him, "Plant? What plant?"

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, "Banana plants. I planted them a few weeks ago."

Rose walked into the room. "Banana plants, huh? That doesn't surprise me."

All of the men stood up. Rose waved her hand. "Oh, please guys. We're at home. What smells so good?"

Jack smiled at her. "I'll get you a plate. Full English?"

Rose smiled, "That sounds lovely, thank you." She walked to where the Doctor was sitting on the cabinet next to Pete. She put her hands on her hips and stood in front of him. "All of these chairs and you're sitting on the cabinet like a child?"

He smiled his 1,000 watt smile at her. "It's part of my strategy."

"What strategy is that?" Rose asked him.

To Rose's complete surprise, he used his legs and pulled her in closer to him. He held her hands and kissed her quickly. She laughed at him. "You are mad."

Jack brought her plate. "Your breakfast, ma'am."

The Doctor let her go. She smiled as she took the plate, "Thank you, Jack."

The Doctor jumped down from the cabinet and said, "Let me go make your tea, Rose."

Rose walked over and sat next to Tony. He said, "Before you ask, yes. This American has ate a Full English before."

She smiled at him. "I'm sure you have. What are you on about?"

Pete laughed, "We were giving him a hard time. Trying to wind him up."

Rose looked back at Tony, "You've probably had more of these than I have. Growing up traveling so much with your father."

Tony held his hand out, "See! She gets me."

The Doctor sat her tea down next to her plate. "There you are."

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you."

He sat back down on the cabinet next to Pete.

Pete continued the conversation from before. "So, we're copying a house. You know, if you can do that… could you do it for me? You want Jackie and me to get a smaller place to live in. She has found a place, but we don't like the house."

The Doctor sipped his coffee. "Sure. That would alright wouldn't it, Summus?"

Summus was bringing his plate to the sink. "You are always welcome to use the _Hamlet_. You know that."

Pete rubbed his chin. "I'll have to give this a think then. Damn. This is fantastic."

Tony informed him, "You know, Pete. We could put an arc reactor to power your new place just like we have here. So, don't limit yourself to a grid. We can copy the one from here, and a house from someplace, and get you all set up."

Pete looked impressed. "Wow. That really gives me a lot to think about. Huh. Thanks, Tony."

The Doctor sat down his coffee and clapped his hands together. "Alright! I need some stuff before everyone runs off. Who's not busy today?"

They all looked at him. Pete rubbed his chin. "You and I need to get to Washington today."

Tony pointed at The Doctor. "I need ten minutes with you and Pete."

Rose looked at him. "Mum and I are going to get our hair done."

He looked surprised, "What? I didn't know about that."

She looked up at him and smiled. "I'm not going to a State Dinner looking like this. Jack is going with us."

The Doctor looked at Jack. He simply looked back and said, "What? I've not had a trim in over five months if you want to be technical about it."

The Doctor sighed, "Ugh. Lance?"

Lance chuckled, "I'll keep her safe. Don't worry about her, Doc."

Licis and Princess Ashena walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, everyone!" She greeted them. All of the men stood up. She waved her hand, "Oh please. Sit down. I would rather be treated as an equal during my time here on Earth. Would that be permissible?"

Licis smiled at her. "It is up to you."

She nodded her head and smiled. "Yes. Please. No one address me as 'Princess.' I'd rather be simply Ashena."

They all replied that they understood. Ashena noticed Pete and walked over to him. She offered her hand to him. The Doctor took it to keep Pete from touching her.

"Hang on a bit, Ashena. Your father has not given this man permission to touch you." He insisted.

Ashena smiled at him. "My dear Doctor Smith. My father has told me that I may not be of age for a few more weeks, but has already granted me the all the rights I will receive on that day. It is now my decision whom I will allow to touch me, and what I will be called. He says that he trusts my judgment, as you should."

The Doctor bowed his head. "My apologies. I knew nothing of that agreement." Pete took her hand and kissed it. The Doctor looked over to Rose and Tony who were both silently laughing at him. Tony mouthed, "Smooth."

Pete smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you. My son in law has told me about you."

Ashena's eyes lit up. "You are the father! Licis! This is the father!"

Licis walked over and sat down a plate of food. He shook Pete's hand. "Yes, we met yesterday. He thought I was Lewis."

Pete laughed, "Indeed."

Ashena turned around and saw that Licis had gotten her breakfast. "Thank you, Licis. But, I would really like to get my own from now on. Please don't think you have to serve me like that. I can take care of myself."

Licis nodded his head to her. "Of course. It won't happen again."

Logan stood up, "Ashena. Please, have this seat."

Ashena smiled as she sat down in Logan's seat at the bar. Everyone noticed when she rubbed his forearm. Logan smiled at her and then quickly blushed as he looked back at the room and cleared his throat.

The Doctor pointed at him. "And Logan needs some training today! Who can take him up to the ship? Someplace, off of this planet, until I can back?"

Rose laughed under her breath. _'Oh, I can feel how proper cross you are.'_

He looked back at her, _'She rubbed his arm! Do you think they are shagging?'_

Rose sat down her fork and covered her face to hide her hysterical laughter.

Shakes asked, "What sort of training do you have in mind, Doc'?"

He groaned as he rubbed his face. "Ugh. Let me think."

Jack smiled at Ashena. "Have we met? I'm Captain Jack Hark-"

"Stop it!" The Doctor demanded. "Jake! Go with Jack and Rose, please."

Jake laughed as he stood up and patted Jack on the back. "I need a trim anyway."

Jack asked, "Ashena. You have lovely, white hair. Have you thought about getting it dyed a color that will look more of Earth?"

Ashena covered her mouth in surprise. "I haven't. Should I? Rose? What do you think?"

Rose nodded her head. "It would probably be a good idea. Just come with me and mum today."

The Doctor's eyes got huge. "Rose! Are you serious?!"

Tony sipped his coffee as he leaned over to Rose. "How high do you think his blood pressure is now?"

Rose laughed, "I'm going upstairs to get ready. Ashena, I'll come get you before we leave." She looked at the Doctor, "And you need to calm down."

"Phhhhh….." he rolled his eyes.

Jack walked over to stand next to the Doctor. "Jake and I need to bounce over to London for a bit. We'll be back in a bit."

The Doctor stood, leaning against the cabinet with his arms crossed, clearly distracted at his own annoyance and shock. Jack looked at him brooding and smiled. "See you later, dear." He said.

The Doctor grit his teeth and didn't look at Jack. "Right."

Jack couldn't help himself and leaned over and kissed the Doctor on the cheek.

"THE FUCK! THE HELL! WHAT?!" The Doctor exploded as he wiped his cheek.

Jack used his watch and quickly popped away.

The entire room erupted in laughter. Ashena covered her mouth and laughed in surprise.

Stark leaned against the wall and laughed hysterically. "Oh, man. That was the best! Well done."

Lance laughed, "Damn, I hate that Rose missed that."

Jake laughed as the Doctor pointed at him. "You tell him I'm going to kill him!"

Jake nodded his head. "Relax, man." Jake popped away.

The Doctor ran both of his hands through his hair and looked at Pete. He was wiping his eyes from the laughter. "Stressed, son? Maybe you should try to meditate."

"Ugh, okay, training with Logan." He thought for a few moments and willed himself to calm down. Then, he thought of something. He snapped his fingers. "Got it! Space walk. We need to put those antennas for the scoop on the outside of the ships. Logan can do that with someone. Hell, Jacob could do that, too. He'd love that."

Pete looked surprised, "Jacob Shepherd? Walking in space like an astronaut?"

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Of course. I was going to do it with him anyway. He wants to be an astronaut, and this will give him something to do. Howie asked us to keep him busy."

Shakes chuckled, "I'll do it. I love doing that stuff. And I can't wait to see the look on the boy's face when he does it for the first time. Logan, you will love it, too."

Shakes got up and patted the Doctor on the back. "I'll keep three eyes on them. Legate. You'll help us."

Legate looked at Logan and smiled, "Indeed, sir!"

Genie ran into the room wearing a cute, white dress. She looked like a princess. All of the men, and Ashena, greeted her. She stood in the middle of the room, covered her mouth and giggled. "Good morning."

Genie looked around and saw who she was apparently looking for. She ran over to the Doctor and climbed into his arms. He kissed her cheek. "And good morning, my princess. What would you like to eat for breakfast?"

Pete leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Hello, Granddaughter."

Genie giggled at both of them. "I've come to ask you on a date, Daddy."

He pointed at himself. "Me? That's terribly forward of a lady."

Genie held up both of her hands. "Well, it's not like a 'date-date'. It's more like….. just a date. I'm having a tea party and want you to come."

He smiled at her. "When is this tea party, Genie?"

"Now! You need to get dressed, and then you can come. Grandfather is already dressed."

Pete pointed at himself. "I can come, too?"

Genie smiled, "Yes! And my Tony!"

Tony Stark looked up, "What? A tea party?"

The Doctor shook his head, "I don't know if your Tony would like to do that or not-"

"Nah, man." Tony stood up and took his plate over to the sink. He walked over to Genie and kissed her cheek. "You know, Genie. I would love to join your tea party. Shall I change?"

Genie looked at him. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. "Yes, Tony. It's a tea party!"

Tony nodded his head. "Right! I'll go throw something on. I'll be right there! Doc'. Pete. See you in a bit."

Tony took out a remote trigger for the transporter from his pocket. He clicked a button and disappeared. The Doctor pointed at where he had stood. "Who showed him how to work that?"

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxx


	38. Chapter 38 – The Tea Party

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Chapter 38 – The Tea Party

Rose sat at her make-up table in the closet. She didn't look up when the Doctor walked in. "Genie found you?"

"Yeah. I need to jump into my suit. We're having a tea party. Then, I need to get to Washington to see Howie and give him some more medicine."

Rose continued to work on her make-up. "And then you need to check on Tony."

"Nah, I just looked in on him. He's watching football with his leg propped up. He's fine."

Rose smiled, "And then you need to help Ashena with her head thing."

Rose heard his voice come from the back of the closet. "No. I just did that. She wanted to take off the headband. She'll be fine. If anything happens, just let me know and I'll pop to you. Genie called it her crown. I'm sure she's happy to be done with it. I believe she's fine now, though. I would like to keep an eye on her thought patterns for a few more days to make sure though. Do you think she's sleeping with Logan?"

Rose turned around and looked in the back of the closet to see him buttoning up his oxford. "So what if they are?"

"Rose! She is a Princess. Logan is not of noble birth. This is a big deal with Andromedaens. At least in the other dimension it was."

Rose shook her head. "Baby. It's not our business. They are both of age."

He stopped and smiled as he was putting on his tie. He mouthed the word, "baby" and laughed under his breath. Rose smiled at the oblivious moment when he relaxed a bit.

"They are baby adults. Barely of age." He put on his vest and buttoned it up. He was so frustrated he missed the first hole and buttoned it up wrong. "Ugh!"

Rose walked over to him and helped. "Calm down. You are winding me up you are in such a state."

Rose could feel him relax slightly as he watched her work. She finished and looked at him. He smiled at her. "Thank you, Rose."

Rose pulled his tie knot out and brushed off his vest with her hands. "Sam is with Mum. They are playing. Can you feel how happy he is?"

He smiled and seemed to relax a bit. "He's days away from laughing. If he's not laughing at her now. He's so happy. Damn, I need to sort that out. Who's watching these rotten children while we're out?"

Rose looked at him. "Let me sort that out. Don't worry about it. You've done this for months on your own. Your stress level seems to be in the red today. Are you alright?"

He reached over and took his jacket off of a hanger. He draped it on his arm. "You. Going out today. Promise me you will be careful."

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Sweetheart. I'll be fine. I'll be with Jack, Jake and some of the Guard. Try to relax."

He looked at her for a long moment. He put on his jacket and pulled her into his arms. Rose could feel his fear and worry.

She told him softly. "I promise I'll be careful. We have a date tonight."

He relaxed a bit and kissed her hands. "Tux?"

"I checked and it's optional." Rose told him.

He rubbed his face. "That means there will be some there. This is not my best day. Already. And I can't drink. Damn."

Rose rubbed his chest. "Your daughter is waiting on you. Please try to relax." She kissed his lips quickly and sat back down at her table. She went back to putting on her make-up. He stood behind her and seemed to be consumed in his own thoughts.

After a few moments, he knelt down behind her. She looked at him in her mirror.

She smiled at him. "Your hair looks fine."

He smiled at her. "Your make-up looks lovely. I sometimes miss the way you used to do your eyes."

She turned around and looked at him. "You mean, with the heavy eyeliner? I looked like something out of a horror movie. I'm reserving that for Halloween."

He chuckled at her. "You're the boss. Rose. Umm…" He became serious.

Rose turned around and looked at him. "What is it?"

He bit his lip and thought. "Can I tell you a bit later? It will require a bit of explanation that I really don't have time for at the moment."

She smiled at him. "Certainly. I can feel you are excited about it. More than with the other news you gave me this morning."

He chuckled, "Nah. Not excited. I'm not sure. Relieved, I suppose. But, I'll tell you all about that later. Right now, I need you to take something for me."

"Take something? What is it?"

He handed her his silver flask. She looked surprised as she held it in her hands. "Mum and Dad gave this to you…."

He nodded, "Yes. At the beginning of our engagement. Keep up with it for me."

Rose looked at him. "It's just a break…. That's all I've asked for."

He shook his head. "I've thought a lot about it, Rose. And I see your point. I see how much I still want to run. It has nothing do to with you, and it's not your fault. It's just, a very old habit of mine. It's what I've always done. This is how I've managed to continue to run from my problems recently. If I have that in my pocket, I'm going to use it. I've told you that I won't, and I'm determined to keep my promise to you."

Rose looked down at the flask. "Sweetheart…... I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Thank you for helping me through this, Rose. I'm done running. I mean it."

Rose laid her hand on his cheek and whispered. "You are my Nehyta."

He smiled at her, "And you are mine. I love you so much, Rose. I want to do this proper. You are _that_ important to me."

Rose leaned down and kissed him. She could feel his worry. She looked into his eyes and continued to stroke his beard. "I'll be careful."

He told her quietly, "I might still be out when you return. Let me know when you get back."

She smiled, "Yes. Of course, I will. Please, try to relax. You have a tea party you are late for."

He stood up and buttoned his jacket. "Ugh. This day needs to be about a week long to get everything done I need to do. Damn, I miss my TARDIS."

Rose looked up at him. "You look so dapper."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, my dear. I'm late. Ugh!"

Rose giggled at him as he walked out of the closet mumbling. "She tells me to 'relax'. Spartacus and his camp on Mount Vesuvius lay under a siege, and she would probably say, 'relax'."

Rose heard his complaining and laughed under her breath.

XxxXxXxXxxXxxx

Genie's room was painted lavender and had a half bed built into the wall. The bed curtains were tucked back. A roll away bed that Jacob had slept on sat in the corner. Jacob had apparently gone downstairs for breakfast.

To have been a young lady's room, it was extremely elegant. A lovely chandelier hung in the middle of the room. A small, white, baby grand piano sat in the corner of the large room. A dollhouse sat next to a rocking chair. Genie's dresser and bookshelf were full of books and small dolls. A window stood open above the table where she sat, speaking to Tony and Pete. The breeze from the ocean could be felt in the room.

The Doctor knocked on the door. He held up a tray of colorful pastries. "My apologies for my tardiness, my dear. The food replicator has been programmed with your favorite pastry."

Genie smiled at him as she sat up very straight and smiled. She spoke in a very adult and proper way. "That's quite alright, sir. Please. Do come in."

He nodded his head. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

When the Doctor sat down, Genie spoke to him. She held her head very high. The effect was adorable. "Daddy. Do you know my other guests? This is Grandfather and My Tony."

The Doctor smiled as he looked at the other two men and said, "Nice to see you, gentlemen."

Pete grinned, "Likewise."

Tony sipped his tea and spoke in his terrible British accent. "This is lovely tea, Genie. Did you make it yourself, my dear?"

Genie smiled at him, and continued to speak in the posh way. "My Summus helped me. He even brought it up here so I wouldn't spill it. Wasn't that just charming?"

"Charming?" The Doctor laughed.

Genie nodded as she tossed her hand, "Yes. He is such a dear. Anyway. I agree with My Tony. Tea parties are a brilliant place to discuss business. I have things I need to chat with you lot about."

Pete was trying to keep from laughing at how cute this entire situation was. "You need to chat with all of us, young lady? What about?"

Genie waved her hand. "I am sorry, Grandfather. I need to make Daddy tea. How do you take it, Daddy?"

The Doctor looked at her and smiled, "You know how I take my tea."

Genie shook her head and sighed, "With too much sugar. I do hope one day you will stop that. It is terrible for your health."

He held out his hands and looked surprised at Pete and Tony. They both laughed quietly at him.

Pete chuckled, "Said the daughter of the Doctor."

"She told you." Tony mumbled. Then he spoke to Genie again in the British accent.

"Genevieve, my dear. Another thing you need to know about business is that you need to have someone on the inside. Someone to tell you when your competitor is doing something you need to know about. I could be that for you, since I know these two men jolly well."

Genie tapped her chin. "That could be useful, sir."

Tony continued as he held his tea, "These particular people, you should pay more than you normally would. That way they will remain loyal to you, and not let it be known that they are spying for your organization."

Genie nodded her head and handed him another plate with a pastry on it. "Your proposal is acceptable, sir."

He smiled at her. "Why, thank you, Genevieve."

Pete laughed under his breath. "Well, that's putting the mustard on it."

The Doctor's face said it all. "What the hell are you teaching my daughter?"

Tony smiled at him as he returned to his normal voice. "Business. Don't worry. I've got this. And I'm right. I've found out something you two goobers need to know."

Genie handed the Doctor his tea. "Your tea, Daddy."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Sweetheart."

Tony looked at them. "You have a man named Malcolm who works for you. Some, egghead?"

Pete rubbed his face and groaned. "Oh God. What have you heard?"

Genie fussed at Pete. "Grandfather. Elbows do not go on the table, sir."

Pete quickly sat up straight and looked at her. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. What about him?"

Tony sat down his tea, "He has been talking to Justin Hammer, my competitor, about coming to work for him. Seems to think he will be allowed to continue working on a black hole project. Hammer sees it as a weapon and wants it. He's offered him a full relocation package, an apartment, lab, a woman, anything he wants."

The Doctor leaned back in the chair. "H.I. Hammer Industries. That's what he was on about last night. He thought we already knew."

Tony looked at him. "So, you've talked to him about this?"

The Doctor rubbed his beard. "I think we have it worked out, but it's still an extremely dangerous theory."

Pete asked, "How dangerous are we talking?"

"Imagine the Atomic bomb, times a billion-billion." The Doctor told him.

Tony nodded his head. "Thought you needed that bit of info."

Genie held her tea glass up and declared, "No doubt, from a spy."

Tony held back up his tea glass and smiled. In his terrible British accent he said, "Indeed, my dear. From a spy."

Pete leaned back and crossed his arms. "Is this is really a problem? Malcolm is the only one that really knows about it, right? I mean, we're not going to have a bunch of scientists recreating something like the Manhattan project, are we?"

The Doctor shook his head. "It lives in his head. Well, and Tosh's and Rose's. I probably need to talk to her and see for sure, but…. I think it's contained. I shorted out his computer he was working on after he closed the hole this morning. But, he still has all of his notes."

Tony asked, "So, he could recreate this. If he hasn't already given it to Hammer."

"Well, how clever is this Hammer?" Pete asked.

"Oh hell, he couldn't poke himself in the eye if someone didn't glide his hand. He's an idiot." Tony told him.

Genie smiled, "More cookies, gentlemen?"

The Doctor took another one from her and smiled, "Thank you, Genie."

Tony nodded his head. "Probably not a bad idea to have one of your ghosts to keep an eye on him for a bit. Make sure this thing doesn't blow up. He's determined to bring something to the Expo and show it off."

The Doctor nodded his head, "I agree. I'll get a guy on it."

Pete looked at Tony, "You were serious, you employ spies?"

Tony looked surprised at him. "You don't?"

Pete chuckled and rubbed his hair embarrassed, "Okay, yeah….. I have a few in my pocket."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Right. I've handled it. Gobbo is tracking him down now."

Tony's eyes got huge. "You don't waste any time do you, man?"

Genie sipped her tea and sat down her cup. "There is a matter of business that I need to discuss with you gentlemen."

Tony slapped the table, and returned to his British accent. "Yes, my dear Genevieve. Your business. What is it?"

Genie sat up straight and proper and looked at them seriously. "I have decided that I need a pet dragon."

The Doctor asked her, "A dragon. Is that what you said?"

Pete covered his face and turned in this seat. Overcome with how adorable the entire situation was, he laughed silently as he leaned his head on the Doctor's shoulder.

Tony looked seriously at her. "Are we talking about a real dragon, Genevieve?"

Genie said, "Of course, My Tony. You three men can probably get me one."

Tony sat back in the chair. He pointed at the Doctor. "That's all you, Daddy."

The Doctor smiled back at Tony. "Thanks." He looked at Genie. "Well, let's chat about this. Why do you need a dragon?"

"Okay, Daddy. I've really had a long think about this. A dragon is a great idea for a pet for many reasons. He can protect me from the bad guys. We also have this huge island where he can fly around and no one would see him."

The Doctor propped his head up on his fist and looked at her. "Alright. Those are good reasons. Except, what would keep him from flying away, and not coming back?"

"We would feed him ice cream. He would like us."

Pete wiped the tears from his eyes and continued to laugh silently. He sat back in the small chair with his arms crossed.

The Doctor continued to rest his head on his fist and look at Genie seriously. "Dragons can't eat ice cream, Genie. It upsets their stomachs. They can't eat coconuts, either. They get caught in their throats."

Genie sipped her tea and thought. "Alright. That's true. What do they eat?"

The Doctor thought. "Meat. Mostly. Cattle. Pigs. Small children."

Genie's eyes got huge. "Do they really?"

He looked at her seriously. "My Sara Gene, I would never lie to you."

She crossed her arms and stuck out her lip. "Well, that won't do at all! Rats! I wanted to ride a dragon."

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	39. Chapter 39 – Too Much Sugar

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Chapter 39 – Too Much Sugar

The Doctor and Pete rode in the back of a limo. They were joined by Aemilius and Adriano. Michelle had arranged a safe point for them to pop to in Washington, DC, then the limo had picked them up. They were on their way to see Howie at the hospital.

"Feels strange riding in a car. I've gotten use to popping wherever we need to go." The Doctor complained.

Pete nodded his head. "Yeah. I feel the same way. I imagine a ride on the Bullet would be…."

"Long. Geez. Granted, I would like to do that again. That was interesting. Genie slept through the entire thing."

Pete nodded, "Yeah. Well, I suppose this is how everything feels to you, now. Your ship you had, you just popped around in it, right?"

The Doctor relaxed in his seat and smiled at the thought of his TARDIS. "It disappeared here and reappeared there. Similar. I've used watches like these before. But, they also had time in them. Rose has asked me not to put that in these. She's worried I'll do something similar to what Jake and Jack did."

Pete nodded his head. "I have to say I agree with her on that. Now, for them, it was just continuous? They just missed five months?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yes. That's the reason they were so surprised when they reappeared. Seeing how much the children had grown, and then there was Sam." He laughed, "I'm sure that was strange to them. Particularly Jake."

Pete reached over to the bar and poured himself a drink. "Drink, son? Aemilius? Adriano?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah. Thank you. I'm on a bit of a break."

Aemilius smiled at him. "Thank you, Pete. Just some water for me and Adriano. We're on duty."

Pete nodded his head and handed all three of them a water bottle each. Pete asked the Doctor, "A break? What brought that on?"

He sipped his water. "I drank entirely way too much when we were gone to Plentitude. Rose and I talked about it, and she has concerns. So, she's asked me to take a break."

Pete nodded his head. "I see."

Aemilius looked surprised, "A break? For how long? We have planned you a party."

Adriano held out his hands, "Man. Really?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Not now, guys. We'll talk about that later."

Pete looked confused. "What are they on about?"

The Doctor sipped his water, "Don't worry about it."

They rode in silence for a little bit, then Pete spoke again. "There is something I want to ask you about. Director Smith."

Worried about what it could be, The Doctor looked back at Pete. "Yes, Director Tyler?"

"You found a hole in the Planetary Defense. How much can we actually detect with our technology?"

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair and groaned. "Oh, Pete. I knew I would have to tell you at some point. It's just a very small part that you can detect at this time. Ships have ways of staying off the radar. In fact, I'd be willing to say that you are really only seeing the ships that want to be seen at this point."

Pete nodded his head. "That's what I had guessed. Your ship, it can detect other ships?"

The Doctor thought, "Yes. All the way out to Alpha Centuri. What's on your mind?"

Pete shook his head. "See, that won't do. I wanted to chat with you about changing that. I know you don't want us to have technology before we are ready for it, but what if we got just _that_? Just for Torchwood to use on the Space Port. That way we would be able to be see more of what's out there? Be better informed."

The Doctor rubbed his beard and thought. "I see your point. Well, the majority of the ships are just going to be passing through this region. They don't need to be contacted by anyone from here otherwise they are going to think the planet is ready for them to begin visiting. And they are not. You understand what I'm saying?"

Pete nodded his head. "I do. But, do you understand what I'm saying?"

The Doctor sat his water bottle down and rubbed his hands together. "Oh, this makes me uncomfortable, but I do agree with you. Thomas' team would have to be trained to talk to these people. Well, it's not so much training as it is a different mindset. You don't own the space around where your planet is. Well, not really. Anyone passing by needs to feel free to just pass by. There's a major lane that sits right behind the asteroid belt. Ships come through here all of the time to refuel off of Jupiter and Saturn, pick up some metal out of the asteroid belt, and continue on their way. If Thomas saw them doing that, he would have to know to just let them. They've done it for centuries. And it actually prevents the gas giants from getting too large."

Aemilius nodded his head. "It's true, Pete. I used to fly cargo with my father. Many years ago. I've been through here a million times."

The Doctor smiled, "And that was how long ago, Aemilius?"

Aemilius thought, "At least 350 years ago. Poltoius used to race down through here in his younger days. It's no surprise to me that Legate got his Dad's piloting skills. Wow. Poltoius used to make you sick he flew so fast. Did you ever fly with him, Adriano?"

Adriano smiled and pointed, "Once. Only once. Geez. And I've made it a point never to fly with Legate. He is worse I hear."

The Doctor chuckled. "I didn't know this about Poltoius. Did he have a ship of his own?"

Adriano nodded his head. "Oh, yes! It was a beauty, too. After his son was taken, and he thought he had lost Legate, he changed."

Pete asked, "Stopped flying?"

Aemilius shook his head. "No, he got worse. He crashed the ship. Flew it right into the side of a meteoroid. Summus transported him out just in time. That happened right before we left were we serving before. I can't blame the man. You two are both fathers. I imagine you can guess what he might have been going through."

The Doctor nodded his head. "I can. Damn. Poor bastard."

Pete asked, "I've never heard about his son who was taken. How old was he?"

Aemilius sat back and rubbed his chin. "Legate is what now?"

Adriano thought, "He's young. I think he's … 72, 73? Somewhere there?"

Pete looked back at the Doctor and smiled. "How about that? I'm younger than Legate!"

Aemilius thought, "Yeah. Lenox would have been very small. Poltoius had always trained the boys to become part of the Guard from the time they could walk. As a father does, of course. Lenox was very good. He could walk where you couldn't even hear him. He was like a ghost. Amazing child. Did you ever meet him, Adriano?"

Adriano shook his head. "No. He was about the same age as your son, Pete. That's the reason Summus put them together. Poltoius requested it after he met the family. I'm telling you, you couldn't have anyone better with your son. He is determined that he's never going to let it happen to another father."

Aemilius nodded, "Yes. He had a very hard time when Tony was taken back at the White House. After reviewing that, it's amazing Poltoius wasn't killed."

The Doctor asked, "What of Poltoius' mate? A wife?"

Adriano shook his head. "No. He lost her long ago. I'm not sure how. It was only him and the boys since I've known him."

Pete put his glass down on the bar. "Interesting."

XxxXxxXxxxXxxxxXxxxXxxx

The Doctor and Pete walked into Howie's hospital room. The light from the beautiful, sunny day shown through the windows. Howie was sitting in a chair in the corner of the room, now wearing his robe. Miles Richfield sat in a chair near him, while Doctor Smith stood between them. Both of them were speaking with Howie.

"Excuse me? Is this is a bad time?" Pete asked.

Doctor Smith shook his head, "Not at all. Please come in."

Howie exclaimed. "Yes! You wouldn't believe the addle-headed sawbones is saying about me, Pete. Get over here and talk some sense in him. Cop a squat."

The Doctor looked confused at Pete. "Cop a squat?"

Pete pat him on the back and smiled, "It means to sit down."

Pete sat down on the side of the hospital bed, and the Doctor stood next to Doctor Smith and shook his hand. "Good to see you again."

Doctor Smith nodded his head. "Indeed. I'm glad to see you. All of the tests show your experiment has done an amazing job, and has cleared out his veins just like you thought it would, but…"

The Doctor braced himself, "But?"

Howie groaned, "And it's a big ass but."

Doctor Smith showed the Doctor the tablet he was holding. "Well, you can see it here. I don't know how his heart even managed to continue beating through everything. It's extremely weak."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yes, I saw this last night when I reviewed it. Could a transplant help?"

Doctor Smith nodded his head. "That's my recommendation. But, the stress of the Presidency is too much. I'm recommending-"

"Oh, stop beating the Devil around the damn stump and just say it. You want me to stop being the President of these here United States! You think it's going to kill me because I've got the heart of a puny, acorn calf. Do you hear this shit, Pete?"

Pete nodded his head, "Yes. Howie, I have to say that I agree with him. I spoke to Rose and Jack's about it last night."

Howie tossed his arms in the air. "This is just shit. You know? This is a democracy. We'll vote on it. Who's in favor of me remaining at my post?"

Howie raised his hand.

The Doctor said, "All opposed?"

Pete, the Doctor, Doctor Smith and Miles raised their hands.

Howie grumbled, "Ah, half of those votes don't count. You're not even Americans. You other two probably aren't even registered."

Pete rolled his eyes. "Howie, you are impossible. Ugh!"

Miles looked at the two Doctors standing together. "Doctor Smith and Doctor Smith? Are you related?"

The Doctor chuckled and shook his head. "No. Just a common name. Howie. I've looked at all of this stuff. Doctor Smith is right, you can't continue to do this."

Howie sighed, "Is that what you really think? I won't make it any secret that I trust your judgment over anyone else's in this room."

Pete, Miles and the other doctor looked back at the Doctor. He crossed his arms and looked at Howie. "Then I'm saying, no. Let it go. Let someone else do it so you can enjoy your family. You can see Jacob grow up. Howie, this is going to kill you if you continue."

Howie groaned, "I ran on this platform. I'm not a quiter!"

Pete interjected, "This is for health reasons, Howie! I don't think the American people disagree with this."

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, "It's really none of their business. This is up to you."

Miles chuckled. "Begging your pardon, sir. But the American people have a funny way of deciding what is, and what is not their business."

Howie raised his eyebrows. "That's the gospel."

Miles spoke, "Howie. We've known one another a long time. There are still duties you can perform using your status as a former President. You can still make a difference."

Howie sighed. "I'll have to talk to my Caroline about this. I'm not deciding anything without her input. Where is she anyway?"

Miles pointed at the Doctor. "That bodyguard took her back to his place to rest. What was his name? Something strange."

The Doctor smiled, "Adriano."

Howie's eyes got huge. "You left her alone with Adriano? She loves that man. He can talk her into anything."

Pete held his hands up, "Hang on a minute? What?"

Howie smiled, "Oh yes. She's got a thing for him. I know it. I trust she won't do anything, but I'm sure he didn't have to work too hard to get her to leave. It's that dark, handsome, Italian thing he has going on with him."

The Doctor laughed as he looked at Pete. "Adriano? Italian?"

Howie smiled, "Yes. That's what we're saying."

Doctor Smith shook his head. "I've got to go tend to some other patients. Think about what I've said, Mr. President."

Howie held out his hand. "See! Mr. President. They won't call me that anymore if I give this up."

Doctor Smith walked out of the room as Miles pointed out, "Howie, you are always going to be called Mr. President. Every former President has been."

The Doctor pointed at Miles. "Howie. I need to give you another injection. Is that alright?"

Howie waved his hand to dismiss Miles. "Yeah, hell. Miles won't care."

The Doctor walked over, put the injector to Howie's throat and pressed the button. He leaned against the window.

Miles looked at Pete, "Has he always been this damn….."

"Stubborn? Oh my God, yes. I knew we were in for a fight to try to talk him about of this."

Miles sighed, "Indeed. You know, Howie. I find it interesting that you've known Pete and myself for so long, but will openly admit to our faces that you prefer the judgment of this man here! What the hell?"

The Doctor looked up and realized Miles was pointing at him.

Howie smiled, "That's simple. You two are a couple of dunder heads. John is my wheel horse. Rose's Belvidere has nothing to gain from me being a civilian, again. Whereas you two do."

Pete looked offended, "Like what?"

Howie pointed at him. "Don't think I don't know what's on your mind. You're going to want me to come negotiate things with your weird aliens."

Pete whistled and waved his hands. "Miles….. no…. he's on drugs. I have no idea what he's on about."

Miles rolled his eyes. "Oh, hell. I've got security clearance. I've sat in on all of the meetings. I know what you guys do. I was there when you popped onto that ship, Doctor Smith. That was ballsy! Damn. I wouldn't have done that."

The Doctor smiled proudly at Pete. "Ballsy! Nice! I've never been told that! Ballsy. I should tell you some of the other things I've done." He sat up straighter, "And to think Director Tyler cussed me out over that stunt."

Pete shook his finger at him. "I believe that was more of a father in law cussing you out, son. Don't make me do it again."

The Doctor laughed under his breath. "You're the head of the family, Pete. That's your call."

Howie looked at him curiously, "You're just going to roll over and take that?"

The Doctor smiled at Howie. "Well, of course not. But, it makes him happy."

Pete ran his hand through his short hair. "Ugh! That's what I thought. Damn it."

Howie was laughing at them arguing at one another. "I'm glad to see that Rose went and found herself a man who Pete can argue with. He loves that. And someone needs to keep him in his place. He's always been the one in charge, and it's good when he's not. Jackie has always kept him in his place, but now he has you. He's needed you for a very long time, John. Give him Hell."

The Doctor smiled as he looked back at Pete.

Howie asked, "No one has said anything about my Jacob. How is he?"

The Doctor looked at Miles and took a deep breath. "Jacob is with Summus. He's taking him on a space walk."

Howie looked shocked, "A space walk? A real one?"

The Doctor smiled, "Yes. I needed Summus to do something for me, and Jacob would be safe to help. Summus has trained people for many, many, many years. He's in safer hands than even my own in this moment. Jacob is so incredibility excited. He's loving it."

Howie laughed, "I bet he is. My astronaut. Wow! Thank you."

Pete and Miles smiled and nodded their approval.

Miles spoke, "So, Howie. You'll talk to Caroline and make your decision?"

Howie sighed, "I've made my decision. I just need to talk to Caroline to ensure it's what she would agree with." He pointed at the Doctor. "Caroline and I have been married for a long ass time. The way you stay happy is to always keep our lady happy. Don't make any big decisions without her. Besides, she's smarter than me and will know what to do."

The Doctor nodded his head, "I completely agree."

XxxXxxxxXxxxXxxxxXxx

The Doctor, Pete, Aemillius and Adriano popped back into the grand entryway of the island home.

Pete rubbed his hands together. "Well, maybe we got through to him. I'm going up to hang out with Tony."

The Doctor nodded his head. "I'll be up in a bit to check on him. I need to go find my children. Seems like everyone went everywhere."

Aemillius laughed, "Sam is in the main sitting room. Licis is with him and Genie."

"Oh! Thank you, Aemillius. Adriano. I've heard on good authority that Caroline would greatly appreciate it if you would return with her to Howie when she's ready to go. Do you mind?"

Adriano smiled, "I don't mind at all. It's what I do."

The Doctor unbuttoned his jacket and walked into the main sitting room. Licis sat on the sofa holding Sam. Genie was sitting next to him watching something on the telly.

The Doctor smiled, "You watch too much telly, young lady."

Genie jumped off the sofa and ran to jump in his arms. "Daddy! You're back! That wasn't long."

He held her kissed her cheek. "I'm glad. I wanted to come home and spend some time with you and Sam."

Genie covered her face and smiled, "Sam is sleeping, and mum told me I should try to get you to meditate."

She smiled at her. "You know how to meditate?"

Genie held her hands out, "Well, of course I do. My mum and I used to do it all of the time. I can show you how."

The Doctor looked impressed. "Well, thank you, my Sara Gene. But, I think I already know how."

"Mum said you didn't. She said it would be good for you." Genie demanded.

The Doctor laughed at her. "Any problems, Licio?"

Licis laughed, "They are best behaved children I've ever had the pleasure of keeping an eye on. I don't believe Sam has even cried."

The Doctor smiled, "They are both amazing."

Licis smiled, "Go on and change. I'll keep an eye on them until you get back."

The Doctor smiled at him. "Cheers. Alright. I'll be right back down."

XxxXxxxXxxxxX

The Doctor stood in his closet. He had just finished changing into his jeans and a black t-shirt. He was hanging back up his suit when he heard his voice.

"Hey there, brother!"

The Doctor turned around to see Tony Tyler standing in the doorway of the closet. He stood on both of his legs equally. Pete watched him, smiling proudly.

The Doctor smiled in surprise. He knelt down and held out his arms. "Take a few steps. Let me see."

Tony limped over to him. "It's just rather tight. It feels like it needs to be moved."

He got to the Doctor who wrapped his arms around him and laughed. "You are doing brilliant! Wow! It doesn't hurt?"

Tony smiled and shook his head. "No. It was sore this morning and I started to move it. Then I tried to stand on it and it was alright. Daddy helped me walk when he got back just now."

Pete laughed proudly at him. "Yes. Sorry to bother you while you are dressing. But, we were excited."

The Doctor laughed, "It's alright. Thank you for bringing him to let me see. Now, Tony. Don't try any stairs for a few days. Use the lift. You like playing in it anyway."

Tony smiled at him. "Okay."

"Okay." The Doctor repeated as he sat him back down on the floor gently. "Go on and walk to your Dad."

He beamed as he watched Tony walk back to Pete. Once he covered the floor, Pete playfully grabbed him in his arms and kissed him. "That's my boy! Well done." Pete carried him out of the room, "See you later, son!"

The Doctor stood and smiled. He heard Rose in his mind. _'You feel happy. What's going on?'_

 _'Our little brother just walked in here to see me. He's doing great, Rose.'_

 _'That's wonderful! I'll tell Mum. She's right next to me.'_

He turned off the lights and walked back down the stairs in his bare feet. Rose spoke in his head, _'Mum is very happy. She's crying.'_

He rolled his eyes.

Rose continued, _'So, you are back at home?'_

 _'Yep!'_ he popped _. 'Our daughter is going to show me how to meditate. You can't seem to keep your hands to yourself when we do it. I'm sure I'm going to like your way a lot better.'_

 _'You are making me blush. Jack is complaining.'_

He teased, _'Especially, when I can touch you. In all of my favorite spots.'_

He could feel his own face getting warm. Rose giggled, _'I think you like that I can't keep my hands to myself.'_

 _'Oh…. I love it. My body is craving yours right now. If you were home, I'd have you shouting again.'_

He could feel her blushing and giggling. _'Jack asked me to tell you that he's going to vomit.'_

He chuckled, _'Do you know what, Rose? I'm craving a taste. A very unique taste in my mouth. When you get back home, I need you to let me have a few moments alone with you.'_

 _'I'm yours. As soon as I return. I'll help you with that.'_

He smiled, _'My stress level has already reduced. I'm going to play with our rotten children. See you in a bit.'_

He walked back into the sitting room. "Alright! Changing of the guard! You two are all mine!" He walked over and picked up Sam out of Licio's arms. "Thank you, Licio."

Licio smiled down at Sam. "Sam would be so honored to know your son carries his name."

The Doctor smiled down at Sam who was sleeping, "Sam saved his life and Rose's, at the expense of his own. It only seemed right."

"What is his full name?"

"He is Samuel Alistair Peter Tyler-Smith." The Doctor told him as he smiled down at his son.

Licio laughed quietly. "Sam was Samuel Alexander."

The Doctor looked surprised, "Now, I didn't know that. My name is Alexander. I asked Lance and Lewis both and they couldn't remember."

Licio tickled Sam's chin. "They wouldn't have known. I originally was going to be a record keeper like Luce. But, he had more of a memory for it. When I got my Marksmen approval, and then was asked into the Royal Guard, I just moved there. Sam and Lewis were always together. He was like the fifth of our quad."

The Doctor laughed. Genie wrapped her arms around his leg. "Daddy. I'm so glad you are home."

He rubbed her back.

Licio smiled at her. "I'll see you later. I think I'll go look at this beach we're on. Please let me know if you need me."

"Thank you, Licio." The Doctor said as he smiled at Genie. "Alright. Let me put your little brother down and you can show me how you do this mediation. I'm all yours, Genie."

He looked around the room. There wasn't anything to put Sam in. "Huh. Where to put the little brother?"

Genie looked around the room. "He should have a cot in here."

"Yeah, he should. Ah! I've got it." He walked over and pulled a large pillow off of the couch. He tossed it on the floor. "Hand me that blanket just there."

Genie took the blanket and lay on the pillow. He sat down on the floor, next to the pillow and lay Sam down on it. He wrapped his tiny body up in the blanket. Sam stretched his little arm out and yawned.

Genie knelt down and smiled at him. "He looks so comfy."

The Doctor smiled, "He does. Should we send a picture to your mum?"

Genie giggled. "Sure!"

He smiled. "Lay down there next to him then."

Genie shook her head. "No. All of us. You lay down too."

He smiled. "Better idea. Alright."

He lay down in the floor and Genie positioned her head next to his. He held the phone out and took their picture. Genie giggled as she sat up. "Send that to Mummy. She'll love it."

The Doctor nodded as he sent the picture. "There. Alright. You and me. Are you sure you want to meditate? We could play Candyland."

Genie stood up on her knees and put her hands on her hips. "Mummy said you would try to get out of it."

"Sweetheart, it's just….strange."

Genie rolled her eyes at him. "Daddy. Just try it. It will help you relax. You eat too much sugar. That's what makes you act so mad."

"I'm mad?" he asked, pointing at himself.

"Proper mad, Daddy. But, we love you anyway." Genie teased him.

"Well, there's that." He smiled.

Genie sat down in front of him. She patted his legs. "You have to cross your legs, Daddy. And get comfortable."

"I'm an old man, Genie. I am sure that's two different things that you are instructing me to do."

"Oh, Daddy. Stop complaining." Genie told him as he crossed his legs and sighed.

He looked beside of him at Sam sleeping on the pillow. "Alright."

Genie sat in front of him and took his hands. Their legs touched one another as they sat. Genie told him. "Alright. You have to be very still. And very quiet. Then you will hear your mind be quiet. It makes a sound."

"Little One, Daddy's head is never quiet." He told her.

"That's because you eat too much sugar." She fussed at him.

He laughed quietly, "Oh the gods. I am sent a cheeky daughter to fuss at me about eating sugar."

Genie looked at him and put her finger to her lips. "Shhh…. You have to be quiet and close your eyes."

He sighed again. "Alright."

They sat there and held one another's hands for a few moments. The Doctor looked at her and couldn't help but smile. She was so cute with her long braid down her back and serious expression on her face.

He spoke in her mind. _'Little One. Can you hear me?'_

She smiled, _'Yes, Daddy.'_

 _'What musical instrument is found in the bathroom?'_

Genie opened her eyes and looked at him. "What?"

He pointed at her. "Ah. You said we have to be quiet. You didn't say we couldn't talk in our minds. You should practice that anyway. Now, back to it."

Genie rolled her eyes and took his hands again. She closed her eyes.

He laughed under his breath. _'Alright. Answer my question. In the bathroom, there is a musical instrument. What is it?'_

 _'Is this in all bathrooms?'_ Genie asked.

 _'All of the ones in this house. I think.'_ He said.

She thought for a moment. _'Daddy, I have no idea.'_

He smiled, _'A tuba toothpaste.'_

She let go of his hands and opened her eyes. "Daddy!"

He laughed at her. "What? That was a good one!"

She laughed at him. "You are so silly."

He laughed with her.

"Mummy is going to be cross if we don't at least try this." Genie warned him.

"Okay. Back to meditating." He nodded his head.

She shook her head at him and took his hands again. They closed their eyes. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and looked around the room. Then he looked at her again. He smiled at how still she sat and how serious she looked.

 _'Genie.'_ He said in her mind.

She smiled, _'Yes?'_

He bit his lip and asked, ' _Why do bananas have to put on sunscreen before they go to the beach?'_

Genie giggled, _'I don't know, why?'_

He smiled like a loon at her, _'Because they might peel!'_ …"Ha!"

She laughed at him. "You need to eat less sugar, that's the reason you can't do this."

He smiled at her. "So, your Daddy is a lost cause?"

She stood up and put her hands on her hips. "For the moment, yes. Let's play Candyland instead. I'll tell Mummy we tried."

He laughed at her. "Well, we did try."

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxx


	40. Chapter 40 - Dressing for the State Dinn

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxx

Chapter 40 - Dressing for the State Dinner

Rose, Jack, Jake and Jackie walked into the sitting room. The Doctor sat on the sofa next to Genie who was carefully feeding Sam. He was keeping such a close eye on them both, that he didn't look up when the others came in the room.

"So, how did it go?" He asked them.

Jack laughed, "No problems at all. I feel so beautiful."

Jake rolled his eyes at him. "Ashena went with Mortimer and Lance. They said they will return later. She said she had something to do with Logan."

Rose felt his immediate annoyance. "Logan is going to the State Dinner with us then. Jake. You should join us."

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Really? You're keeping them apart?"

"Until I can sort out what's going on, I am." He told her, still not taking his eyes off of Genie and Sam.

They walked over to the sofa. Rose put her hand on the Doctor's knee and knelt down in front of Genie and Sam. "Are you really feeding your little brother all on your own?"

The Doctor's eyes met her. He sat stunned. Genie smiled at Rose. Her hair was dyed brown with ginger highlights throughout. It framed her professionally done make-up beautifully.

"Mummy, you are so pretty." Genie said.

Rose smiled at her. "Thank you, sweetheart. You look lovely, too. Did Daddy braid your hair?"

She shook her head, "No, Licio did it. I tried to help Daddy meditate, but he couldn't stop telling me jokes."

Rose looked over at the Doctor and smiled. "You couldn't stop telling jokes?"

He continued to look stunned at her. Jack had been watching his reaction and laughed. "I told you he would love it, Rose. I think he's speechless."

Jackie laughed, "Well, that would be a first." She sat down next to Genie and embraced her and Sam together.

Rose rubbed his thigh. "Say something, or I'm going to think your brain has shorted out again and call Lewis back from his honeymoon."

He smiled, "No, it's working. I'm fine. You look amazing." He took her hand and kissed it. Rose smiled at him.

Jackie leaned over and kissed Genie on the top of the head. "Where has Pete gotten off to?"

The Doctor didn't take his eyes off of Rose. She sat down next to him, reached across his lap and tickled Sam's stomach. He spoke, "Pete and Tony are someplace. I'm not sure. They were together. Legate and Logan came back with Jacob and Summus. They said something about…. Going down to the Tank."

Jack laughed at him as he sat down in the chair next to the sofa. "Well, your brain is all scrambled. Need a minute to organize your thoughts?"

Rose looked at him and rubbed his thigh. Jack noticed how high on his thigh she had placed her hand. "Yeah, that's probably not going to help his situation there, Rose."

The Doctor rubbed his forehead. "Shut up, Jack."

Jack chuckled, "Hey. You are taking Jake to this State Dinner thing. Can I come?"

The Doctor was still looking at Rose. "What do you think, Rose?"

Rose smiled at him, "That's fine with me."

Genie protested, "No, Jack you said we were going to go swimming while they were gone. You're staying here with me."

Jack pointed at Genie. "I did agree to that, didn't I? Sorry, Doc'. I have a date with your daughter!"

Rose looked him in time to see him roll his eyes. "It would appear so."

Rose rubbed his thigh again and giggled. She spoke in his head. _'I can feel that.'_

He chuckled, _'He has to use that term. Date. He's just winding me up.'_

 _'Isn't that what he does?'_

 _'It's his purpose in life.'_ He smiled.

Rose laughed.

Jake sat on the arm of the sofa. "So, State Dinner. A suit, then?"

Jack nodded, "Right. No tux. I know how you are about that, Doc'.

Jake nodded, "I don't even own a tux. I'll pop over to our flat and get dressed. Come on, Jack. I need a fashion consultant."

Rose watched Jack and Jake leave. She turned to look back at Genie and Sam and met the Doctor's gaze again. "Are you still looking at me?"

He smiled like a loon. "I'm sorry. I can't help it. I'm trying to look away."

Jackie rolled her eyes. "Ugh. You lot have it bad. Genie. Your Daddy is so sweet, he is giving a cavity. You lot probably need to go. Rose has her barnet done you have a bit of bird and lime."

The Doctor looked confused back at Jackie. "What?"

Rose rubbed his thigh and laughed silently, "She's telling us that we have time to get ready. My hair and make-up are ready."

"Oh. Strange language." He mumbled as he stood up. "Genie, help Grand with Sam for me. Alright?"

Genie smiled up at him. "Yes, Daddy."

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxxx

Rose and the Doctor walked into their bedroom. Rose pointed at him as soon as he closed the door. "Do not get any ideas. I don't want you to make me untidy for the State Dinner."

He put his hands in his pockets and nodded. "Alright. Can't make you untidy. What is off limits?"

Rose smiled at him. "My hair. My face."

He walked to her and put his hands around her waist. "Okay. Can't touch your hair or your face."

She sighed, "I can feel that."

He smiled at her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Feel what?"

"Your emotions. You are trying to shield them."

"Nah, just halfway. I'm sure I'd overwhelm you again with the things that I'm thinking at this moment."

Rose laughed as she felt his hands on her bum. "You are looking at me like a piece of meat."

"Steak. A juicy steak. Oh, wow. Can I kiss you? Will that mess up your make-up?"

"I know what kissing usually leads to with you."

He smiled, "Am I that bad?"

Rose smiled at him. "It's not bad. You know I love it."

He raised both of her hands to his mouth and kissed them.

Rose asked him, "Wasn't there something you needed to tell me?"

He looked away and thought as Rose felt his excitement. "Let that wait until we get back tonight. It's involved. Would that be alright?"

"Am I going to be cross about this?" Rose asked him.

He smiled and shook his head. "No. I really don't think so. What time are we supposed to be there?"

"It starts at 8:00. She wanted us in the residence a bit before, so we could walk in with her."

He nodded his head. "Okay. Then we have just enough time to get dressed. Can I help you?"

Rose teased him. "You can help me get undressed."

He smiled like a loon. "Oh! Lucky me!"

Rose laughed as he held her hand and they went into the large closet. He bit his lip as he looked at her. He unbuttoned her dress and slid it off of her shoulders. It fell to the floor. He looked in her eyes. "No hair, and no face."

She smiled, "That's right."

He pointed at her chest. "This is alright?"

She giggled, "That part is alright."

He bit his lip and nodded. He leaned down and kissed her chest. Rose whispered to him. "I need to put on different knickers with my dress."

He groaned. "Oh, the Universe loves me in this moment."

He took off her bra and kissed her breasts. He rubbed between her legs, through her knickers. He could feel it get warmer and wet. He bit his lip as he looked back at her face. "There's something I really want here. May I have it?"

Rose knew what was on his mind. "It's not my hair, nor my make-up. So, it's not off limits."

He teased her. "Luckily for me, I removed all of the hair there this morning."

She smiled, "I love that you will do that for me."

He led her over to a bench in the closet. She sat down as he knelt in the floor in front of her. He kissed her hand that he still held. "Lay back. But, be careful to hang your hair off the edge."

Rose lay down and she felt him take off her knickers. "I forget I'm dealing with a professional here."

He kissed her thigh as he teased between her legs with his fingertips. He lifted her legs and positioned them on his shoulders. He licked her opening between her legs. All of the teasing he had done had already caused her to get very wet. She moaned as she wrapped her legs around his shoulders.

Her eyes rolled back in her head as she felt his warm breath between her legs. He kissed her thigh, moving his head back to her opening. Once he got there, he gently took some of her sensitive area in his teeth and nibbled her gently. He kissed her and then licked the opening before breathing his hot breath on her and began to kiss her other thigh again.

She was already panting, "You are driving me mad with all of this teasing."

He smiled as he licked her. "I can tell." He returned to kissing her thighs and teasing the outside of her opening.

He kissed up to her stomach, biting her gently.

She arched her back, "I need you. Please." She panted.

He blew on her stomach and back down between her legs. He nibbled at each one of her outside flaps, then spread them apart. He dove his tongue inside of her and then sucked her opening. She began to moan and pant heavier. He continued to work her area for several minutes, using his fingers to penetrate her some more. She held onto the edges of the bench.

 _'Go on. Shout, Rose. I can feel that you want to.'_ He teased her in her head.

She cried out.

He kissed her thigh, then her stomach. He rubbed his hands up and down her chest as she caught her breath. She looked up at him in time to see a smile spread across his face. "I've been craving that all day. Thank you. What sort of knickers do you need to wear with this dress of yours?"

He stood up, turned around and opened her drawer. Rose lay on the bench in a daze. "Hang on. You aren't finished."

He turned around and looked confused at her. "What am I missing?"

Rose stood up and walked over to him. She looked down and picked up a pair of knickers. "What about you?"

He smiled, "It's not always about me. Besides, I got what I wanted."

She blushed and held her hand up to her face. "That hardly seems fair. You …."

He smiled at her. "Me? Me, what?"

Rose wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, "You need yours."

He chuckled at her as he put his hands on her waist. "You can give me mine later. Sometimes, it's all about you."

He could feel her lust. He growled at her. "Yes. That's exactly what I wanted to do to you. See, we will have a great time when we get home tonight. I have a great new game we can play. Besides, we have something to celebrate. Rose, you are all mine!"

Rose bit her lip as she looked up at him. "I want to snog you so badly right now."

He smiled like a loon at her. "I know you do. You'll muck up your make-up. You are so beautiful." He took both of her hands and kissed them again. "I'm going to enjoy making you untiny tonight. Oh, the things I'm going to do to you."

She smiled at him. "I love you. I can't wait. Go get dressed you nutter."

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx

Rose walked out of the closet as she put on her earrings. She wore a sleeveless, blue dress. The cut up the side of it showed off her legs that had been shaped by all of the running she enjoyed.

The Doctor sat on the side of the bed, chatting with someone on the phone in a language thought she had heard before. He was already dressed in a navy pinstriped, three piece suit. He rubbed his beard as he spoke on the phone.

Rose walked over to him and he took her hand in his. He raised it to his lips and kissed it quietly as he listened to the person on the other end of the call.

He said something and then laughed. Then he ended the phone call. He stood up and looked at her. "I'm sorry about that. He's been trying to find me for a few days. Someone finally gave him my number. Wow. You look amazing."

Rose smiled, "Who was that?"

He offered her his arm. "Ah. A work thing. Prime Minister Somebody. Boring stuff, Rose. I'll fill you in later about it. We have a dinner to get to!"

They walked to the lift. Rose held his arm. "I want to say the hell with all of this. Just stay here and let you make me completely untidy."

He smiled at her like a loon. "How would we explain that to Harriet?"

Rose brought his hand up to her lips. Instead of kissing it, like he thought she was about to do, she put his index finger in her mouth and sucked it. The look on his face was comical. Rose felt his surprise. She laughed at him. "I'm sure you could think of something."

"Err….." He said.

The lift door opened. Tony, Jacob and Genie jumped out and scared them.

Both the Doctor and Rose jumped and then laughed. The Doctor spread his arms out wide and backed them back into the lift. "And now you have to deal with the John Monster! Blah….."

They playfully shouted as they all got back into the small lift together. Rose rolled her eyes at them as she pressed the button for them to go down.

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxx


	41. Chapter 41 - Protocol One

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Chapter 41 - Protocol One

Rose and the Doctor popped into an empty room inside of the Presidential Palace along with Logan, Legate, Lance and Jake.

Lance shook his head. "Do you hear this? Lewis is chatting my head off."

The Doctor chuckled. "Yeah, he's really excited."

Legate asked, "How did he just hear about this?"

The Doctor put his finger over his lips. "Not now, guys."

Rose looked at them. "You lot go on and have your secrets. I'll find out."

Lance smiled, "Yes, ma'am."

Legate put his hands in his pockets. "My father will be along shortly to remain in the shadows. He's probably already here."

Logan asked, "Are we expecting trouble?"

Jake smiled, "We're always expecting trouble. It's just what happens with this family."

Pete popped in with Poltious. "Harriet won't mind another one for dinner. Besides, I hear we're having salmon. Let's go!"

The Doctor turned to Rose, "What? Pete?"

She smiled, "Just go with it."

They all walked out of the room together. The Doctor mumbled, "Well, no tux's yet. That's promising."

They walked down the elegant hallways of the palace. Harriet's body guards spotted them immediately. They walked over and greeted them. Harriet walked out of the room where she sat with some people who were elegantly dressed. She looked relieved to see them all. "Oh! At last! I'm so very pleased you are here!"

Rose embraced her. "Harriet. How are you?"

Upon closer inspection, Harriet seemed stressed. She looked back at Pete and the Doctor and smiled. "I'm so glad you are here. Negotiations have been difficult this week here. But, I think we finally have agreed to some things."

The Doctor asked, "Who are you negotiating with?"

Harriet sighed, "Japan. Trade deals. Ugh. It's a heavy table to begin with, but even heavier when both sides won't compromise. They are already downstairs. It's just been a long week. I'm ready to have dinner with some good friends and relax a bit. Tell me, how is Howie and Caroline? I've not been able to get away."

Pete nodded his head. "Howie is doing better. His heart is so weak though. The Doctor has advised him to resign his Presidency and get a transplant."

Harriet looked shocked, "Is it that serious? I had no idea! Oh my!"

The Doctor sighed, "He can't continue to live under that stress. It's too much."

Harriet shook her head. "Good luck talking him out of that. I know Howard Shepherd is not going to agree to anything of the sort!"

Pete nodded his head. "You know the man well."

The Doctor agreed, "Yes. But I think we have made him see reason. Oh! Harriet. Please allow me to introduce a friend of mine. This is Logan. He plays football with us and I've recently taken over his training for Torchwood."

Logan stepped forward and shook Harriet's hand. "Madam President."

Harriet smiled, "It's lovely to see you again, Logan. I remember when you came to play at the Gardens. Hell of a footballer. I'm surprised you didn't go to college on that."

Logan shook his head. "Nah. Footballing is for fun, not for making money. I wanted to do something more meaningful with my life. Try to help someone."

Harriet smiled proudly. "Noble indeed. You have the heart of a knight. Legate, Lance and Jake! It's lovely to see you again."

They all nodded at her and smiled, "Ma'am."

An aide walked in. "Madam President, they are ready for you downstairs."

Pete smiled, "Alright. May I escort you to dinner, Harriet?"

Harriet smiled and took Pete's arm.

XxxxXXxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxx

They sat in the palace's long ball room. Tables had been set up along the sides, and people danced to an orchestra that played in the middle of the room. President Harriet Jones sat at the table with Pete, the Doctor, Rose, Jake, Legate and Logan. Polotius had disappeared into the shadows. The Japanese delegation sat close-by at another table completely.

Jake laughed at the situation, quietly. "They are really sitting way over there?

Harriet shrugged her shoulders, "It made them happy. Believe me, I do not mind. It's been a tough week."

Pete shook his head and laughed quietly. "Damn. I'm glad I didn't go into politics."

The Doctor smiled, "Not for you, huh?"

Pete shook his head, "No. Not at all."

The room was full of celebrities and politicians. Several walked over to briefly speak to Harriet, Pete, Rose or the Doctor. Logan looked at Legate, completely amazed to be sitting in such an environment. Pete and Harriet were busy talking to someone from MI6.

The Doctor took Rose's hand. "We should dance. Would you like to do that?"

Rose smiled, "Certainly."

He excused them as they joined the others who were dancing a slow waltz on the floor. Rose looked in his eyes, and he kissed her lips quickly.

He smiled, "Sorry. I should have asked first. Make-up and all."

Rose giggled as they danced, "It's really alright. What song is this? I've heard Genie play it."

The Doctor thought for a moment and smiled, "It is 'Stairway to Heaven', by Led Zeppelin."

"Oh, it is not! What is it really?"

He chuckled, "'The Lonely Ballerina'. I would prefer the Zeppelin song, personality."

A photographer asked, "Excuse me. Miss Tyler. Doctor Smith. May I please have a photo?"

The Doctor smiled, "Of course. Thank you for asking first. Take several. And this is Doctor Tyler-Smith. My wife."

The photographer smiled, "My apologizes. I did know that." She took several pictures. Then she lowered her camera. "Thank you both. I'll see that you get a copy."

Rose smiled, "Thank you."

The photographer walked away to get some shots of the other guests.

They continued to dance together. The Doctor mumbled, "That was a welcomed change. Someone asking to take our picture instead of just doing it."

Rose rolled her eyes and smiled at him. "Tony asked if he could buy you a Zeppelin. I told him you hated them, so not to bother."

He smiled, "And you're right. I've always hated them. Even before we came here."

"How many times have you flown in a Zeppelin?"

He sighed, "Besides the time we returned from Norway? Several times. I can remember the first time. I was caught in a Zeppelin raid. It was during the War. The first War. We were right above the Battle of Gallipoli. People shooting at you, and you can only move at that torturous slow speed. It was just a terrible idea all the way around."

Rose looked surprised at him. "I've never heard this story."

He looked at her, "I usually don't tell the ones where I got hurt."

She rubbed his back as they continued to dance. "How did you get hurt?"

"A sabre found its' way into me. But, thinking back on that, I didn't do too badly in that fight. Especially as old as I was." He bit his lip as he looked impressed with himself. "Yeah. Not bad at all."

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Were you alone?"

He shook his head, "No. My Susan was with me."

Looking around the room, Rose was reminded of time she had been watching a grand ball through a time window. Madam de Pompadour and King Louis XV of France had been under attack from androids they had found on a ship. The androids threatened to decapitate Reinette, but the Doctor crashed through the mirror to save her. Rose's heart suddenly felt heavy remembering how she thought she had lost her beloved on that day.

The Doctor felt her sudden sadness. He took her hand and kissed it. She looked at him and smiled. "I'm alright." She told him quietly.

"You feel sad. Are you certain?" He asked her.

She smiled, "I'm fine."

He looked confused at her. Then nodded his head. "Are you still taking that medicine?"

He could feel Rose's surprise at his question. She moaned, "Ugh. Here is comes. You're going to yell at me."

He chuckled at her. "No. I'm not going to be cross, Rose. I'm not even going to badger you about it."

Rose looked surprised at him. "You're not?"

He shook his head as he continued to dance with her. "I'm just going ask you something, and think on this. If you were sick, say with a cold, and I asked you to take some medicine until you got better, would you take it?"

Rose shrugged her shoulders, "That's different-"

"No. It's not. It's the same sort of thing. It's not forever, it's just for a bit."

She sighed, "I was thinking about something that made me sad. Don't harangue me about it."

He smiled, "Not haranguing you. Just pointing something out. What were you thinking about that made you sad?"

They continued to dance. Rose looked around. "This place. It looks similar to the Royal Hall where you jumped through the window to save that French lady."

"Madam de Pompadour." He smiled as he looked around. "That was Versailles, but yeah…a bit similar. Why would that make you sad, Rose?"

"Because I thought I had lost you that day." Rose told him.

He looked seriously at her. "I'm sorry. I had forgotten that part of it."

Rose shook her head, "I'm being stupid-"

He smiled at her. "Your feelings are never stupid."

Anxious to change the subject, Rose asked him. "So. This is your first State Dinner here in Great Britain. What do you think so far?"

He chuckled, "Company is good. Music is good. People seem polite. How many State Dinners have you attended?"

Rose smiled, "I'm not sure. Several. Dad always seems to escort Harriet for the press. They even created this blown-up scandal last year that they were an item."

The Doctor made a face. "Harriet and Pete? Please tell me you are kidding."

Rose giggled as they continued to dance. "Oh, I'm not kidding. Mum went completely mental. That's when she stopped reading the tabloids. All they print are lies."

He nodded his head, "This morning, I was on the cover with Lewis. I don't know where the picture even came from. Apparently, we're more than mates. I can't wait to see Lewis' face. He didn't even know he rode that bus."

Rose covered her mouth and laughed. "You should frame it for a wedding gift."

He nodded his head and laughed, "Oh, I really should. If the guys haven't already."

Rose laughed as she took his hand and lead him back over to the table they had been sitting at. He held the chair for her as she sat down.

Pete, who had been speaking to Harriet about something, looked at them. "Already finished dancing?"

The Doctor smiled, "Heels. No matter how many times I ask her not to wear them, she always does." He drank his water.

Rose spoke in his head. _'New rule. You can only tell me what to do if you are naked.'_

In his surprise to her words, he choked on his water. Pete and Harriet looked surprised at him. He looked back at Rose, who rubbed his back as he caught his breath. _'Oh, the gods. You are a mean woman. Did you just say that?'_ He laughed and wiped the tears from his eyes.

Rose giggled as she sipped her water. Jake, Legate, Logan and Lance were busy in their own conversation about some movie star that was dancing with someone in the room.

Harriet smiled, "You two looked so lovely out there together."

The Doctor smiled at Rose. "Rose always looks lovely. I just try not to embarrass her."

Rose giggled as he took her hand and kissed it.

Harriet sipped her water. "Tell me. How are the children? I imagine Jacob is still with you."

The Doctor smiled, "They are all fine."

Rose giggled, "Their newest game is jumping out at people and giving them a fright."

"Yeah, they got us as we were going down in the lift tonight. They don't know who they are messing with. Now, it is my turn." The Doctor laughed as he pointed at himself.

Pete chuckled. "It won't be long there will be four doing that. Enjoy it while it's just the three."

The Doctor nodded. "That's very true. He's grown so much since you have seen him, Harriet."

Harriet smiled, "Sleeping good, then?"

Rose smiled, "He's a great sleeper. I'm so pleased. I've heard horror stories about children who keep you up all night."

The Doctor nodded, "It's true. Very little are we up with him."

Rose patted his thigh. "Well, he's always good to stay up with him and let me sleep."

The Doctor smiled, "Well, me or one of the guys. Lewis seems to have him a lot."

Lance laughed, "My brother is a big child. He can relate to one so young. They have much to discuss together."

The table laughed. Pete smiled, "Jacks said that Rose was always a great sleeper. He apparently takes after his mum."

Rose felt the Doctor's emotions change a bit. She took his hand and looked at him. He smiled painfully back at her. She heard his voice in her head, _'I'm alright, Rose. Pete doesn't know. No one does. I'd rather no one knew. They would treat him differently.'_

She nodded at him.

The Doctor smiled, "An Olympic sleeper. Like his mum."

Logan picked up a fork and quietly asked Legate, "Is this real gold?"

The waiters served the first course, as another waiter walked behind them and poured a glass of wine for each person.

The Doctor sat back and rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Okay! Hang on! I've been waiting to do this! Okay, the menu. Huh. It's in French. Why is it in French, Harriet? You are entertaining people from Japan."

Harriet shrugged her shoulders and laughed, "It's mad, right? They requested it."

The Doctor nodded his head and continued, "Alright, Le Menu. Filet de Tyrbot a l'Amiral or Fillet of the West Coast Turbot with Lobster Mousse. Longe de Venaison d'Ecosse Rotie Sauce Perigueux, Choux Rouges Brasises, Timbale de Celeri-rave, Prommes Cocottes Bonne Femme Salade or Roasted Loin of Balmoral Venison in a Maderia and Truffle Sauce, Braised Red Cabbage, Cocotte Potatoes, Timbale of Celerax and Butternut Squash."

Pete chuckled at him. "How the hell do you know that?"

Harriet smiled, "Extraordinary! You didn't mention the wine."

He bit his lip and looked at the glass. "Chateau Lafite Rothschild. Wow. A favorite wine of Thomas Jefferson's. Interesting."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You have defiantly been spending too much time with Stark. Geez."

Pete asked, "Alright, son. How did you do that? Do you have a menu over there?"

The Doctor smiled, "Ha! Trade secret, Pete. I won't say. Logan. Don't eat the salad. It has carrots in it. Everything else should be fine."

Logan smiled, "Thank you, Doctor Smith."

Harriet laughed in surprise. "Hang on. Why shouldn't Logan eat carrots?"

Logan smiled, "I have an allergy to carrots. It's common. I usually don't eat salads unless I make them myself just to make certain."

Rose looked surprised at him. "I've never heard of anyone being allergic to that."

The Doctor shook his head. "It's more common than you think. I shouldn't have pointed it out like that, I just didn't want him to eat it and get sick. I apologize, Logan."

Logan shook his head. "No. By all means, always tell me. I might not know."

Pete looked interested, "Is this a life threatening allergy, Logan?"

Logan nodded his head. "Yes. And you would be surprised where carrots can be found. You have to be very careful."

Legate asked, "Like where?"

Logan shook his head. "Well, there are the usual things, like salads and soups. But also, certain sweets. If they are dyed purple, it's usually with a purple carrot. Certain cereals are the same way. Some drinks and even sodas put artificial carrots in their recipe to make it sweeter. Like Dr. Pepper."

Rose smiled, "I had no idea. Wow."

Logan continued. "Trouble is, companies don't have to completely declare what's in their recipes. So, people with an odd allergy like mine have to extremely careful. Sometimes, we don't know until it is too late."

"And you start to react." The Doctor added.

Logan nodded his head. "Exactly."

Pete asked him, "I suppose you don't drink a lot of wine."

Logan looked puzzled, "I'm sorry, wine?"

"Well, some of those are made with carrots. I was really surprised when we went to Italy a few years ago and saw that. You're right. They say it makes it sweeter."

Rose added, "I remember that. Yes. And it made the color brighter."

Logan nodded his head. "Yes. It's used to enhance the colors of foods."

Harriet shook her head. "I had no idea. I'm going to look into this. People should know what they are eating. Particularly with so many people who deal with this now. You're the second person that has told me that they have an allergy today. Pete, are you allergic to anything?"

Pete looked at her. "Bee stings. I was stung in the neck once, and now it makes me swell up like mad. It's very strange. You?"

Harriet shook her head. "None that I know of. You, Rose?"

Rose looked at the Doctor and shrugged her shoulders. "His computers said I was allergic to a lot of different things. But, I have never heard of any of them."

The Doctor shook his head. "There's none of that here. You're quite safe."

Rose looked at Jake, "You?"

Jake shook his head. "Nah. Nothing I know of? You Doc'?"

"Gunshots. Keep it in mind."

Jake rolled his eyes. "You keep it there. Geez."

The Doctor pointed at Legate and Lance. "You guys?"

Lance shook his head, "Nah. Nothing I know of."

Legate smiled, "Latex. I only found out once I got here. I cut my hand, and put a bandage on it. It blistered up my skin like mad. I almost came to see you about it, Doc'."

"You should have. Allergies are usually in a group. If you are allergic to one thing, you run a high risk of being allergic to something else. If you are allergic to latex, be very careful around strawberries. They can cause you to react, too. Like Logan, he's allergic to carrots. I bet he can't eat celery either."

Logan nodded, "Yes. That's right. I hear it's rather disgusting, though. So, I'm not missing anything."

Pete asked, "You have what? Five brothers?"

Logan nodded, "Yes, sir."

"Do they have the same allergy?"

"No. Not at all. I'm the only one. Allergies usually aren't the same in families. In fact, none of them are allergic to anything." Logan told them.

The Doctor added, "Allergies like that aren't hereditary. Be thankful you aren't living about 200 years from now, Logan. People start making clothes out of vegetables. Even carrots. It's strange."

Rose closed her eyes tightly and shook her head. "I'm not even going to ask you to explain that."

He laughed at her. "I'm serious! They do! Organic clothing. And you can't even eat it if you get hungry. Just like polyester today is made with petrol. You can't run a car off of it. Very strange."

Pete took Harriet's hand. "I'm so glad I have someone here I can have a normal conversation with. My son in law always seems to fall into a rabbit hole."

The Doctor sat back and looked at Pete. "Yeah, I suppose I do. It's a problem."

Harriet smiled at Jake. "So, Curly Wolf. Tell me. Adjusting after your holiday?"

Jake knew she was referring to the Time Vortex malfunction. He groaned, "I suppose. We just popped back and found that we had missed five months of our lives. Jack seems to think it's normal. I find it very strange."

The Doctor smiled, "If Jack ever thinks something is strange, that's when it's time to worry."

Jake laughed silently, "Yeah, I suppose that would be right. Some of the stuff he tells me…. Damn. I don't think it's true."

Rose asked, "Like what? I could probably tell you."

Jake bit his lip. "Nah. I won't say. It would probably upset you."

Rose shook her head. "Why? Is it about me?"

Jake shook his head, "No, him."

The Doctor sipped his water, "Me? What is he saying about me, now?"

Jake looked at Rose, "Are you sure? I don't think you want to know."

Rose rolled her eyes. "I probably already know. Go on then."

Jake pointed at the Doctor. "He says that you guys ran into this guy who was elected President in the other dimension. He was from the same place you were."

Rose nodded, "Yes. He told me about that."

Jake continued, "He captured you and Jack, and tortured you both for over a year-"

The Doctor waved his hand and whistled, "Nope. Enough. Rose doesn't need to hear any more of that. Nope."

Rose looked back at him. "You didn't tell me that part."

He could feel her shock. He laid his hand in her lap and sighed, "Ugh. He did try to warn us. Rose, there's a lot more to that story. A whole lot more. And you don't want to hear it. Believe me."

Rose looked seriously at him as he kissed her hand.

He bit his lip and looked at her. He whispered, "I'll tell you everything. Later. Alright?"

Rose nodded her head.

Jake asked, "So, it's true then? The woman who walked the Earth?"

The Doctor smiled, "Yes. Martha. She ended up marrying Mickey. Saved the entire world."

Pete sensing that Rose was about to get upset, decided to redirect the conversation. "So, Harriet. Since we're back in town, maybe we need to plan another football match. Rose is well, and it would be Sam's first one."

Harriet smiled, "Arsenal is playing next week. Let that be his first game. Well, when do you plan to announce his birth?"

Rose looked at the Doctor and shook her head, "I haven't thought about it. I suppose we should talk about that."

Lance shook his head. "It might be better when we're sure the danger has passed. Let him get a bit older."

Pete nodded his head. "That might be better."

The Doctor asked, "When did you announce Tony's birth?"

Pete ate his salad and shook his head. "They knew when Jack's went to the hospital to deliver him. The press was there before I was. Pre-watch living and I was stuck in traffic on a lovely, rainy day in London. Rose was there."

Rose smiled, "I was. He got there just in time, and I got to bow out of that. Thank God!"

The Doctor laughed.

Jake smiled, "I remember that. We stood in the waiting room together that night. Mickey was there. Remember, Rose?"

Rose smiled, "I do. He kept drinking coffee because you two had just got back from an assignment. I can't believe you were still awake."

Jake smiled proudly, "47 hours. Straight awake. Like a boss!"

The Doctor smiled, "Mickey?"

Rose covered her mouth and laughed. "Passed out and fell in the floor. Had to have stitches in his head."

Pete laughed, "I didn't know what's why! I thought he got hurt on assignment."

Jake smiled, "Way more noble to tell you that than what really happened. Although, I did think about telling you it was because Rose had hit him again."

The Doctor smiled at Rose. "He was still trying to get you to go out with him?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "He was relentless."

"Unyielding. I remember that." Harriet said. "Such a nice, young man. But, I can see why you turned him down, Rose."

The Doctor smiled at Rose. She heard him speak in her head. _'I can't say I really blame him. You are so lovely.'_

Rose smiled back at him.

Harriet continued, "I'm so pleased you lot came over tonight. It's such a breath of fresh air to be in your company. I know you are all so very busy. Thank you."

A member of security leaned over and spoke in Jake's ear, quietly. Jake nodded his head.

The Doctor asked, "Trouble?"

Jake stood up and rebuttoned his jacket. "Nah. Just protocol stuff. Come on, they need you, too."

The Doctor groaned. He leaned over and kissed Rose's cheek. "I'll be right back, sweetheart."

He stood up and rebuttoned his jacket. "Harriet, don't start your speech without us. Logan. Legate. Let's go see what this is about."

Logan and Legate got up and the four men walked out of the grand ballroom. They followed the security officer out into the hallway. He turned to them. "Gentlemen. Please follow me."

He led them into a receiving room with very ornate decorations. The carpet was red and ancient paintings of the Kings and Queens of England hung on the walls. As they walked into the room, the guard closed the door. He turned to the men and simply said, "Forgive me. I had no choice."

At least fifteen armed men came out of nowhere. They had been hiding behind the long curtains waiting for them. Jake and Legate made ready to fight and the Doctor told them quickly, "No. Not now, guys." He put his hands on top of his head and touched his wrist band without anyone noticing. "We're not armed. Friday, Protocol One."

Legate put his hands on his head and looked at Jake and Logan who did the same.

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxx


	42. Chapter 42 – The Tux

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxx

Chapter 42 – The Tux

A tall, skinny man walked into the room. He was dressed in a tux and didn't look out of place at all at the State Dinner. He clapped as he walked in the room. "Good idea not to sic the dogs on us. We just want to talk."

The Doctor turned his head to look at Legate. "There's the tux. I knew there had to be one here."

Legate and Jake laughed under their breath.

He walked up and stood in front of the Doctor, who had put his hands on his hips. "Somehow I doubt you just want to talk."

The man smiled at him. "Nah. It's curious, Doctor Smith. I expected you would wear a watch. All of your agents do. If I may, a brilliant piece of tech."

The Doctor looked back to see Legate and Jake's watches to be taken off of them. All of the men's guns pointed at the four men.

The Doctor looked at the man, "I usually just use my phone to get the time."

The man nodded his head and held out his hand. "I need that phone."

The Doctor held out his hands and shook his head. "I'm not armed. It's in my jacket." He reached in his jacket and handed it to him. The man looked down at it and clicked a few things. "This is dead."

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Ask any of these guys. I'm terrible about charging that damn thing."

Legate spoke in the Doctor's head. _'All of these are Torchwood agents. Am I wrong?'_

The Doctor spoke back to him. _'No. You're right.'_

 _'You need to warn Rose-'_ Legate suggested.

 _'Rose is being taken care of.'_

The man walked over to Logan and pointed at him. "He's new. I've never seen him with you."

The Doctor was shocked. Who was this man? How long had he been watching him?

The Doctor looked at Logan. "Yeah. He's a new guy. You want to chat with me. You can let them go and I'll come willingly. You won't have to make a scene."

The man laughed, "And let all of London know I have you?"

XxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx

Rose, Pete, Harriet and Lance were laughing at a conversation when Lance suddenly stopped and held up his finger. "Hang on."

As soon as he said that, Rose heard a familiar voice lean in behind her. "Rose. It's Lewis. Don't be alarmed, but I need all of you to quietly stand up and follow us out of this room immediately."

Rose's heart dropped. "Where is he?" She could feel the Doctor was shielding his emotions.

Lewis took her hand as she stood up and looked around to see Shakes, Polotius and Gobbo running out of the room. Lewis had Aemilius and Adriano with him. Lewis was wearing his familiar suit, but without his tie.

Lewis spoke. "I'll explain everything. We need to move. Now."

Pete took Harriet's arm and they quietly left the room and went towards the lift. As soon as all of them were in there, Lewis pointed at the other Quauhtin. "Priority One. Let's get them back."

They popped away.

XxxxxXXxxxxxXxxxxx

Legate looked over at the Doctor. _'Should we attack?'_

 _'We can keep them talking and figure out what the hell is going on.'_

 _'Summus is here.'_

 _'Yeah and if he opens that door, we're going to have a hell of a fire fight. Don't tell him where we are. Redirect him.'_

Legate nodded, _'You're the boss. Hell of a first day.'_

The Doctor asked the man. "You know, you've asked me a lot of stuff….I'm curious about you."

The man smiled at him and rocked on his feet. "Sure. What would you like to know?"

"Well, who you are would be a start."

He smiled. "Well, you'll figure it out. I've been paid to come get you and deliver you to someone. But honestly, who I am is of no consequence."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on. Talking about yourself like that."

The Doctor felt a pinch on the back of his neck, and then the room went completely black as he fell into the floor.

XxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

Rose popped into the Doctor's workshop with Lewis. He still held her hand. He turned quickly to face her. He held his finger up to tell her to wait just a moment.

Pete arrived a few moments later with Aemilius and Adriano. Lance popped in the room with Harriet.

Lewis turned around and spoke to the others. "Aemilius and Adriano. Get to Howie and Caroline in Washington with Bassanio. Stay with them until you hear from me."

They both nodded their heads and popped away. Lewis turned to Lance. "Lance, monitor all watch activity on the Doctor's monitors over there. I need to know if there were any unauthorized jumps. Summon Timon to assist you or anyone else you need."

Jack and Licis ran into the room.

Jack asked, "I've just heard. What can I do to help?"

Lewis pointed at Licis. "Go back to the house and keep the children, Arla and Jackie occupied. Don't inform them."

Licis nodded his head. "Certainly." He closed the door as he left.

He turned to Jack. "Jack. Assist Lance in anything he needs." Jack turned around and rushed over to the desk.

Pete stood next to Rose. "Lewis. What the hell is going on? Why are we here?"

Lewis held Rose's hand tightly. "The Doctor has activated a 'Priority One'. That means we are to stop everything we are doing and return the family to the island. Rose has to remain with me or Summus."

"Where is he?" Rose asked.

Lewis looked sadly at her. "I'm not sure. Summus is looking for him now. He told us he was taken by fifteen armed men. Logan, Legate and Jake are with him. Legate gave us a description, but he didn't tell them his name. He said he was paid to bring them to someone. They were someplace in the Palace, but no one can find them. We can't contact him or Legate."

Rose realized she couldn't feel him in her head. She covered her mouth and started to cry. "I can't feel him. Why?"

Lewis shook his head. "I'm not sure. He's instructed me to ask you a series of questions and to remain with you the entire time."

Harriet put her arm around Rose's shoulder. "You poor thing. Please, let's sit down."

They moved to the sofa and sat down. Lewis sat on the coffee table, still not letting go of Rose's hand. Pete put his arm around her and kissed her head.

Lewis asked her. "Rose. This is going to be very hard, but I'm not going to leave you until he returns. I need you to tell me, your connection with him. Is it a void, or is it just quiet?"

Rose looked at him. "It's quiet. As if he's there, but he's not. Similar to when he sleeps."

Lewis smiled. "That's good news. He's still alive. He just can't contact us for some reason."

Tony Stark transported into the room behind the sofa. "What the hell is this? He has my damn suit turned off!"

Lewis looked at Tony. "During a Priority One, he doesn't want you to risk coming to get him. All watches from Torchwood have also been locked. No one can jump."

Pete looked surprised, "You lot used your watches to bring us here."

Lewis nodded his head. "Each of ours are coded. We can reactivate them if needed. Legate and Jake's are now inoperable. That's to keep them from being used. They aren't tracked by Torchwood."

Tony asked, "What about his bracelet? That has everything."

Lewis shook his head. "It's locked down now, too. Unless he uses his voice to instruct it to do something."

Tony swore. "Hang on, Lewis. You know the code to unlock this. Unlock my damn suit so I can go get them!"

Lewis shook his head. "I'm sorry, mate. I don't have that code. We don't know where they are. And your other suits are locked down, as well."

Tony kicked the table. "Damn it, John!"

Rose shook her head. "This doesn't make any sense. I want to change. Jack, you are going to take me to him."

Jack didn't take his eyes off of the screen he was looking at. "Right, Rose. Go get out of the dress."

Lewis looked at Rose. "I am to remain with you."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Then pop me and you back into my closet. I'm going to get him!"

Lewis bit his lip. "Right. Lance. You are in charge here."

XxxxxxxXxxxxxx

Lewis popped Rose back into her and the Doctor's bedroom. Rose walked into the closet. She turned and pointed at the doorway. "Stay just here, Lewis. I'll just be a minute."

Lewis nodded his head. "Right."

Rose started to walk away, then remembered her dress. She walked back to him. "Would you mind?"

Lewis blushed, and unzipped the back of her dress. She walked into the closet. He stood in the doorway and turned around. After a bit, he cleared his throat. "Your bracelet will not take you anywhere. It's been deactivated."

He heard her voice from the closet. "Damn it."

He grinned as he realized he had known that she was planning on popping away.

"Rose, we are working to find him. We'll get him back."

After a few moments, Rose walked out of the closet wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She had slipped on some boots. "I'm going to help."

Lewis looked at her and shook his head. "You know he wouldn't want that."

Rose became angry. She put her hands on her hips and looked at Lewis. "I don't think this is completely up to him! I do have a say in this!" Her eyes flashed yellow.

Lewis' eyes became huge. He nodded his head and took her hand. "Rose, I hear you. You have to understand, I'm only doing what I've been ordered to do."

Rose took a deep breath and blinked away tears. "Lewis…"

"Rose. We're going to get him back, but I'm going to need your help. I need your help to find him and the others. Please help us with this, so we can help them." Lewis asked her calmly.

Rose wiped her tears and nodded her head. "Alright."

Lewis took her hand. He popped them both back into the Doctor's workshop.

XxxxxXxxxxx

Pete was up, looking at the screens with the other men. Tony sat at a computer, searching something and running programs Rose had never seen before.

Lewis asked, "Any luck?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing yet. I'm trying everything I can think of."

Lance sighed, "Damn. Where the hell are they?"

Pete turned to look at Lewis. "Legate told you lot it was Torchwood Agents?"

Lewis nodded his head. "Yes. Fifteen of them. Torchwood is locked down at the moment."

Rose stood on the other side of the desk, looking at the monitors. "Torchwood Agents did this?"

Pete crossed his arms, "Sleepers. They would have had to have a guy on the inside at the palace. Harriet, who was that security guard that came to get them?"

Harriet shook her head. "I had never seen him before. A security guard."

Tony shook his head. "Phhhh…. This is shit! How am I supposed to do anything with everything locked out? Hang on. Idea." He started to type again on the computer.

Pete turned around and looked at Lewis. "So, the Doctor has shut everything down?"

Lewis nodded his head. He turned to look at Rose. "Rose. Tell me. Do you feel anything at all? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?"

Rose shook her head. "No. I'm alright."

Lewis seemed satisfied. "That's good news."

Rose sat at the large desk. "You can't talk to him, either?"

Lewis shook his head. "No. None of the unit can. Him and Legate are both being blocked."

Licis walked back into the workshop. He was carrying Sam who was screaming. Rose rushed to him and took him in her arms to comfort him. Harriet put her arm around her as they walked back over and sat on the sofa together.

Lewis nodded at Licis. Rose was able to get Sam quiet within moments. She held him and rocked him where she sat.

Harriet patted her knee. "I'll get him a bottle and us a cup of tea. That's just the thing we need."

Lewis sat back down in front of Rose and smiled at Sam as he tickled his cheek. Sam took Lewis' finger and put it in his mouth. Rose and Lewis both smiled.

Lewis grinned, "He loves chewing on my finger."

Rose smiled at him. "Sam. You always make everyone feel better."

Lewis looked at her, "Rose, he's going to be alright."

Rose narrowed her eyes at him as she felt his emotions. "You have no intentions of helping me get to him. He's told you not to allow it."

Lewis sighed, "Rose. My first duty is to you. It's what I've been entrusted to do. I'm to remain with you and ensure your safety."

Harriet returned and handed Rose a bottle for Sam. She sat the tea down on the table that Lewis sat on.

Pete shook his head as he joined them on the sofa. "This doesn't make sense. You lot are supposed to protect the family. Why does it sound like he's the one calling the shots here?"

Jack laughed as he looked at the monitors, "Have you met who we are talking about, here?"

Summus popped back into the room. "This is just shit. How the hell could they have left the Palace unseen? Security doesn't even have them on video. It's like they just….disappeared. I can't even hear them in my head."

Lewis asked. "Watch use?"

Summus shook his head. "Makes sense and doesn't make sense. Well, no. They couldn't have. He activated the Priority One before they left the Palace."

Tony spoke as he pointed at the monitor, "Unless you have a guy on the inside at Watch Control. Look at this. Ten minutes before our guys were taken, we had these fifteen guys pop into the Palace."

"Priority One would have prevented them from using the watch to pop back out." Summus thought out loud.

Pete shook his head. "More than these Torchwood agents are behind this. Jesus. Tony, get me a list of all of those users."

Tony nodded his head. "Got it."

Pete made a call, "Thomas. I need a detailed manifest of everyone who has been in the Torchwood building within the past hour."

Thomas said something. Pete nodded his head. "Yes. Space port, too. Good man. Cheers."

Pete ended the call. "Well, the phones still work. That's something. Is the Doctor's phone still on? We can ring him?"

Lewis shook his head. "As soon as he activates a Priority One, an electromagnetic pulse from his bracelet shorts out everything in the room. None of the bad guys phones, watches or anything are working any longer."

Tony looked surprised, "I didn't put that in there."

Lewis laughed under his breath. "Oh, there's several things he's got in there he hasn't told you about. He's had some time with it."

Tony looked impressed.

Pete shook his head. "Hang on, if he had used an EMP, the lights in the Palace would be out."

Harriet shook her head. "No. They are all gas still. Have been for years in those rooms we were in."

Pete tossed his hands in the air. "Damn it."

Jack added, "They would have had to leave on foot. Why is there a telepathic black-out? Rose should be able to speak to him."

Summus looked at the monitors, "All of the unit should be able to speak to him and Legate. They are both silent."

Lewis looked at Rose. "Rose. Are you hurt anywhere?"

Rose looked at him surprised, "No. I'm alright."

"No, I mean…do you hurt anywhere? Is anything uncomfortable?"

Rose thought. "My head aches a bit. Right here on the side."

Pete said. "They have hit him in the head and knocked him out?"

Jack shook his head. "You really would have to hit him really damn hard to do that. That's not it."

Tony added, "Any fast force like that would have been prevented with his personal force field. He's not been struck. That's not it."

Lewis added, "But, his wrist band is turned off."

Tony didn't look away from the monitor, "Nah. Personal protection is still online. It's a different program."

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx


	43. Chapter 43 – Return Program One

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx

Chapter 43 – Return Program One

The Doctor woke up on a metal floor. He was being tossed about. He held the side of his head and groaned as he sat up.

"Don't make any sudden moves." A man told him who had a gun pointed directly at him. Another man sat next to that guard, eating an apple.

The Doctor raised his hand to the side of his head. His hands had been tied together using plastic pull ties. He looked around and discovered he was in a metal box truck. Jake, Logan and Legate were with him. Jake sat in the corner.

"Welcome back. How long were we out?" Jake asked.

"47 minutes and 32 seconds." The Doctor told him. "I think I was laying on a bolt or something."

"Shut up or I'll really make your head hurt." The guard told them.

Legate began to come to. He moaned and sat up. "That shit gave me a damn headache."

"Shut it!" the guard insisted. The guard eating the apple laughed.

The Doctor looked over and saw that Logan was still lying on his side unconscious. He couldn't see his face, only the back of him. He asked Legate in his head. _'Is Logan alright? You can see him from where you are.'_

Legate leaned down closer to him. All of their hands were pull tied together tightly. Legate shook his head. _'He looks like he's been through it.'_

The Guard laughed, "Yeah, after you guys went night-night, this one decided to be a hero. Had to remind him who was in charge."

 _'How bad is it?'_ The Doctor asked.

 _'I can't tell. He's breathing.'_ Legate said.

The Doctor looked back at the guard. "I don't imagine you will tell us where we're going?"

He shook his head. "No."

The Doctor looked at Legate. _'Can you hear anyone besides me?'_

Legate looked around. _'No. I think we're in a lead lined box. That would prevent that. You can still hear Rose, though.'_

 _'No, I can't. Lewis has her. She's safe.'_ He admitted as looked around the box they were in.

The one eating an apple pointed at the Doctor. "This one, he's a Doctor. Did you know that?"

The other guard laughed, "Yes. Did you hear? That Rose Tyler is one, too."

The guard with the apple looked back at the Doctor. "She's pretty hot. It's a shame she didn't join us. I'd really like to see if blue bloods really have blue blood."

The Doctor looked back at Jake. He shook his head at him. The Doctor looked over at Legate. _'Don't let them wind you up. They are just trying to piss you off.'_

 _'It's working. I'm already pissed.'_

The guard with the gun looked at the Doctor, "I bet she's good in the sack. Is she?"

The Doctor bit his lip and told them. "I'm really not the sort of man you can talk like this around. I'm going to warn you only this once. Do not talk about my wife like that."

The one eating the apple laughed at him. "Get a load of this guy! Here we are with the guns, and he's threatening us."

The Doctor gritted his teeth. "That's your only warning."

Legate spoke to him. _'Stay calm, or Rose is going to get upset and trigger the Bad Wolf-'_

The Doctor bit his lip. _'She can't feel my emotions right now. I can be furious and she'll never know.'_

The one holding the gun said, "See, that's what I'd do. Get her, see how she is in the sack. At least twice. Maybe three times, then kill her."

Jake watched as the one eating the apple took a bite and then threw the rest of it at the Doctor. It hit his face. Then the guard said, "They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away."

The Doctor shook his head, "Not today."

The Doctor kicked the man, who had been eating the apple, in the throat. He turned blue and collapsed. At the same time, Legate kicked the other man's gun out of his hands. Jake moved forward and kicked him in the face, knocking him out.

The Doctor looked at them both as he reached in his pocket and pulled out a pair of wire cutters. He cut himself free then went to Logan and cut his hands free. He handed the tool to Legate. Then he took out his Sonic Screwdriver and scanned Logan.

"Damn. Concussion. He took a blow to the head. Bruised ribs. They also broke his arm. He must have put up a hell of a fight." The Doctor informed them as he knelt beside of Logan.

Jake looked at him. "He looks it."

The Doctor dug around in his pockets. He pulled out the injectors and licked them, one by one. When he found the one he was looking for, he gave Logan an injection in his neck.

Legate asked him. "What's that?"

"It will help with the pain." The Doctor told them as he dug in his pockets again. "Do either of you have a pen or a marker?"

Jake reached in his pocket and pulled out a pen. "I only put that in there tonight."

The Doctor rolled Logan over on his back. He pulled up his shirt and wrote on his chest. "Anything you need to tell Jack? Legate? Need to tell Poltious anything?"

Jake shook his head. "Tell him I'm alright, and I'll see him in a bit. It's my night to pick the movie we're going to watch."

The Doctor smiled. "From my collection?"

Jake smiled, "Yes. We have to get caught up."

Legate laughed at them. "Yes, tell my father that I'm well. That would be good. He will be worried."

When the Doctor finished, he handed the pen back to Jake. Then he touched his bracelet and said, "Remove."

Friday's voice spoke. "Offline. Please state your name."

"Doctor Johnathon Smith. Remove." The bracelet lit up and pulled apart. The Doctor put it on Logan's wrist. Then he held it up. "Return Program One. Doctor Johnathon Smith."

Friday's voice spoke as the bracelet tightened on Logan's wrist. "Offline. Return Program One activated as soon as a path is clear."

The Doctor nodded his head as he sat back. "That takes care of Logan."

The Doctor loosened his necktie and unbuttoned the top of his oxford. He felt around for his necklace. "Damn it. I didn't put it on. There goes that escape plan. Sorry guys. We'll have to fight this round."

Legate looked surprised, "You always wear that necklace. Why did you take it off?"

"I lay Sam on my chest to help him sleep. He was laying on it and asked me to take it off. It hurt his head." The Doctor explained.

Jake rolled his eyes, "You can talk to your infant son?"

The Doctor looked at Jake, "Of course I can! What sort of question is that? It was rather rough on the edges."

Jake laughed in disbelief. "You're full of surprises."

Legate had already tied up the two guards and had taken their weapons. He offered one to the Doctor. "Nah. I never carry one."

"How the hell can you be a Primus without carrying a weapon?" Legate asked.

The Doctor rolled his eyes.

Jake exclaimed, "They are trying to kill you! You've taken your only protection now and given to this kid. What the hell?"

"They can kill me if they like, but the moral high ground will be mine." He smiled at them.

Legate looked at Jake. "Is he serious?"

Jake shook his head. "Sadly, I think he is."

The truck stopped. The Doctor held up his finger. "Don't worry Jake. You can shoot in a bit. I know that makes you more comfortable."

Jake cocked the gun. "Hell yeah it does."

"Remember, I don't like being shot." The Doctor reminded him.

Legate asked the Doctor, "Logan?"

"He'll be fine. He's on his way back. We just have to get him out of the truck." The Doctor told them.

Legate nodded. "Alright. We'll cover you. Jake. Give 'em hell."

The back door opened and the gun fire immediately started. The bullets lit up the night sky.

Jake and Legate shot while exiting the truck. The Doctor picked up Logan and carried him on his shoulder to the back of the truck. The protection from his wristband on Logan's wrist kept the bullets from hitting either one of them. Once the Doctor reached the end of the truck, he threw Logan out of the back of it.

As soon as Logan was out of the truck, he popped away. The Doctor quickly ducked behind a box in the truck. But, not quick enough. A bullet had grazed the side of his head and another one caught him in the upper arm. He lifted his hand to the side of his head and felt the blood. "Damn it." He mumbled.

XxxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxxx

Back at the Doctor's workshop, Rose held Sam close to her and patted his back. Pete sat with his arm around Rose and sighed. "This is torture. Seems like it's been hours. How long has it been, Lewis?"

Lewis continued to sit in front of Rose. He looked down at his watch. "52 minutes."

Tony typed at the computer at the desk behind them. He shook his head. "Jack, they've got to have them in a lead box or something. That's the only thing that would keep this from seeing him. He has a GPS and I'm trying to locate that."

Jack looked surprised, "Doc' has a GPS? What, like in his teeth like the agents do?"

Tony snapped his fingers. "Agents GPS'….. great idea." He continued to type on the computer.

Pete shook his head. "No. It's in his ring."

Rose looked surprised at Pete. "I didn't know that."

"There's one in yours, too. I thought it was a great idea. I mean, you always wear it, right?"

Tony swore loudly, "And all of the agents who popped into the Palace, have removed their GPS. They are all in an office at Torchwood."

Pete shook his head. "This is getting worse by the moment. I need to get to Torchwood and sort this out."

Lewis shook his head. "I'm sorry, I can't let you do that. You would walk right into what they want you to do. You are to remain here with us."

Pete ran his hand through his hair. "When my damn son in law gets back, we're going to have a chat."

Lewis chuckled at Pete. "That's what he said you would say."

Just then, there was a pop and Logan appeared behind the sofa with a loud thud as he hit the floor. He seemed to have fallen from about two meters in the air. Jack and Summus ran to him. Rose handed Sam to Harriet as Pete and rushed to Logan's side. Logan complained as they rolled him over. Rose took his hand. "You're with us. You're safe."

He grimaced and coughed, "Ouch. That really bloody hurt."

Pete looked at Logan as he knelt beside of him. "Damn. Are you alright?"

Logan coughed, "As long as I don't move."

Jack looked him over. "He's injured. Hang on."

Jack pulled up Logan's shirt and saw the Doctor's handwriting. Rose smiled in relief.

Jack smiled, "Got them! Ready the watches. Numbers incoming. He says to prepare for a fire fight."

Jack read off the numbers and Summus, Lance, Poltious and Timon typed them in their watches. They popped away. Jack pointed at the message written on Logan's chest. The Doctor had written, "Rose. I'm alright. Stay with Logan and keep him away from Ashena for me. I've not got that sorted, yet."

Rose looked at Jack and laughed. "He's really wound up about that."

Jack laughed. "Logan, you're going to be alright. You have a concussion, a broken arm and looks like some bruised ribs. Don't worry man, we'll take you to the med unit on the ship and take care of you. Doc's written instructions on your chest for me."

Rose held up her hand. She looked to be in a daze. "Hang on. I can feel him."

"Is he alright?" Lewis asked.

Rose looked up in Lewis. "He's excited?"

Lewis chuckled. "That sounds right. He just asked if we had Logan. Let's take him up to the ship."

Jack took the transport trigger out of his pocket and counted. "Okay, me, Logan, Rose, Pete, Harriet, Sam and Lewis. Tony?"

Tony typed something in on his wristband and shook his head. "Nah, I'm headed to the party." He popped away.

Rose looked at Lewis as Jack triggered the transporter and they disappeared.

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxx


	44. Chapter 44 - Two Primuses

_Wow! I've got such reviews since the last two chapters. Thanks everyone! I hope you enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying writing it._

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxx

Chapter 44 - Two Primuses

Just as the Doctor was about to jump out of the truck, a man swung up inside of it. He looked surprised to see the Doctor standing there. He quickly reached for his gun. The Doctor grabbed his arm and slammed him into the side of the box truck. The Doctor head butted him, which made the man drop his weapon.

The Doctor let him go and kicked the gun out of the back of the truck. The man looked surprised and attacked him. He jumped on the Doctor, knocking him across some boxes in the truck and to the ground. When they hit the ground, the man rose up and punched the Doctor in the face a few times.

The Doctor grabbed man's head and twisted it quickly, breaking his neck with a loud snap. The man's lifeless body fell onto the floor.

The Doctor lay there for a second, in shock of what he had just done. Then the pain of the wound in his arm brought him back to reality.

Jake shouted into the truck. "I've got you covered. Bring your ass out of there."

The Doctor jumped out of the truck and ran with Legate and Jake. They took cover behind a car. The Doctor held his arm as he leaned against the car and groaned. "Help should be here in a bit, gentlemen."

As soon as he said it, Summus and Gobbo ran over to the same car to take cover.

The Doctor smiled as he ran his hand in his pocket, looking for something, "Nice to see you, guys. Rose is alright?"

Summus looked for a shot, "Yes. She's fine. Lewis is with her. Licis pinched Sam just like you instructed to make him cry. It kept her calm."

Jake looked surprised, "You had someone pinch your baby to make him cry?"

The Doctor took off his jacket and groaned, "Of course I did. And don't tell his mother. She'll kick my ass if she ever finds out."

Jake shook his head and laughed.

Summus looked at the Doctor. "Do you need me to help?"

The Doctor shook his head as he tore the arm of his oxford off of him. "I'm alright. The bullet went through the arm."

He used the small device and healed his gunshot to his arm. "Good. She feels calm." He suddenly sensed something. He looked at Shakes. "Summus. Your 10, 12 and 2:00."

Summus rose up and shot three targets and then took cover. "Lewis has been keeping her calm. He knows what's at stake. She's alright. She can probably sense you shielding her."

The Doctor smiled as he looked back, "I'm shielding everyone at the moment. You know, I think we've arrived wherever they were taking us. There seems to be a lot more than we left with."

Summus nodded his head. "Yes. Polotius has counted 34."

Jake shot twice. "Make that 32."

Stark slid on the gravel. Summus pulled him behind the car with them. He saw the Doctor. "The actual fuck, man! You don't invite me to shoot at people?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "It's not a weapons demonstration, Tony."

Tony smiled, "Not yet. Give it a few seconds."

Summus looked at his head and saw blood in his hair. It had run into his ear and across his shoulder. "Are you hit?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Just a graze."

"It's bleeding like mad." Summus told him.

"No, it's stopped. All of this is from when it was bleeding like mad." The Doctor corrected him.

Summus sighed, "Whatever you say." He handed Stark one of the guns he had. "Plasma gun. Works just like you would expect."

Tony looked down at it and nodded his head in approval.

The Doctor looked at him and smiled, "Tony. Right between 11 and 12:00."

Tony stood up and took the shot, then took cover again.

He smiled, "Nice one, Doc.' How did you know where they were?"

The Doctor continued to work on his arm. "I can feel their footsteps. Summus. Your 1:00."

Summus rose up and took the shot, then ducked back behind the car for cover again. "I get sick satisfaction in this."

Tony looked at him. "No gun, Doc'?"

"No gun." The Doctor insisted.

Tony shook his head. "You are so strange. And I'm pissed you locked down my suit."

Summus chuckled at him.

The Doctor pointed at Tony, "You're an idiot. You could have turned it back on."

Tony pointed at himself, "You think I didn't try?"

The Doctor smiled at him. "It is voice activated. Just tell Friday to turn it back on."

Tony shook his head in disbelief. "Well, hell. I didn't think of that." His bracelet beeped. "All of our guys are here with us, right?"

The Doctor and Summus looked around. "Yeah."

Tony smiled, "Do your weird head talking thing and tell them to take cover in 5."

"Seconds?" the Doctor asked.

"3…..2…" Tony counted.

"Shit!" The Doctor and Summus said at once. They all took cover as a massive explosion threw them all on the ground. Pieces of the ground, trees, cars and agents' bodies flew everywhere. They slowly rolled over and looked back at where the explosion had happened. A large crater held a fire that illuminated the night. They stood up slowly to survey the damage.

The Doctor put his hands on his hips and nodded his head. "Nice one. Drone?"

Tony smiled, "Yeah. Special delivery."

"Cheers." He told him as he patted him on the back.

Tony smiled proudly. "I love blowing shit up. Especially, bad guys."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and walked away. "Everyone alright?"

Jake stood and helped Timon up. Summus said, "Everyone is reporting in. Polotius has a deep cut in his leg that Legate is repairing now. We need to get your head taken care of."

The Doctor waved his hand to dismiss it. "Nothing that will cause me to regenerate. Don't worry about me. Everyone says the threat is neutralized."

Jake nodded his head. "Go to Rose. I'll sort this out. Send me Jack when he gets a moment. He will be helpful."

Lance ran up to him. "Hey. Need a ride back?"

The Doctor smiled and put his hand on Lance's shoulder. Lance triggered the transport remote and they disappeared.

XxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

Lance and the Doctor appeared on the transporter pad back on the Doctor's ship. Lance hurried over to the control panel and typed in something.

The Doctor rubbed his head where the bullet had grazed him. "I need to get another shirt. I don't want Rose to see me like this."

Lance nodded his head. "That's a very good idea." They both walked down the hall as the Doctor was unbuttoning his vest and oxford. His head had started to bleed again. He sighed as he held his hand to it.

Lance noticed, "Just head to the med bay, first. I'll get you a shirt after we have gotten your head sorted."

The Doctor nodded. "Sounds like a better idea."

XxxxXxxxx

They walked into the med bay. Harriet stood with Pete who was holding Sam. They both turned when the doors opened. As soon as they saw the Doctor and Lance, Pete sighed, "My God. Are you alright?"

The Doctor waved his free hand. "I'm fine. Just let me get this sorted. Where is she?"

Harriet took Sam from Pete. "She's in with Logan."

The Doctor sat down at the desk and grimaced in pain. "Damn. She's on her way out here."

Rose spoke, "No, she's already here." She sat down in front of him and looked at his head, "This is a lot of blood, are you just injured here?"

He smiled at Rose's autopilot nature. It had apparently kicked in when she was helping Jack with Logan. "Yes. A bullet grazed me. The bleeding had stopped, but it just began again."

Rose held her hand over his wound. "Lance, I need some gauze and something to clean him up with."

Lance was already rummaging in the drawers. "I can't find what I need. Stay here a bit, I'll go get some stuff."

Lewis nodded, "I'll get Jack. He knows where everything is."

Harriet and Pete went with them.

The Doctor nodded his head. Rose told him quickly, "Try not to move. It will reopen it."

He sighed, "Right. It's not a big deal."

Rose still hadn't looked at him proper. She was occupied with keeping pressure on his head with her own hand. He held his hand on top of hers. He couldn't help how proud he was of her in that moment. All of the years of Torchwood training were apparent as she administered First Aid to him. He couldn't feel her emotions, but could tell she was shielding them from him. She told him, "Keep pressure on that. I know where something is."

She removed her hand and went over to a drawer. She returned with a small, white towel.

"Rose. It's just a graze. I'm fine."

"There is a lot of blood for it to just be a graze." She told him as she cleaned it up and inspected it closer.

He sat quietly as she sorted it out. She cleaned his wound and then held out her hand. "You have that skin regenerator in your pocket. I felt it this morning. Let me see it."

He reached in his pocket and handed it to her. "It might not be recharged yet. I've already had to use it once tonight."

She quickly used it to close the cut on his head.

"There. Gosh. You're covered in blood. Is this all from your head?" Rose asked him.

He shook his head. "No. I was shot in the arm. But, I used that skin regenerator earlier on that. I had to wait for it to charge back up. I need to fix that."

Rose stood up and told him, "Take off your shirt. I'll help you get cleaned up." She walked over to sink and wet a towel under the tap. She turned around and he was standing next to her. He took the towel from her.

She watched him as he looked in the mirror and wiped the blood off of the side of his head and his face. Then he washed his chest, arms and hands. He looked up and saw a black eye forming from the fight he had been in. He threw the towel in the trash and sighed. "Okay, so it was a lot of blood."

He turned to see that Rose was staring at him. It was as if she had just realized he was there.

He smiled, "Now, you will look at me?"

Rose continued to stare at him. She said quietly, "I should have known."

"How could you have known?"

She became angry, "You said you would be right back. That's the same damn thing you said before you got shot!"

He held up his hands in defense. "Okay, clearly, something I need to remove from my vocabulary. I can do that."

She continued to look at him. She started to cry and wrapped her arms around him.

He held her tightly. "Everyone is alright. It's all over, sweetheart." He told her. He could feel her relief and anger.

She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "They hurt you."

He kissed her forehead as he looked in her eyes. "Yeah, but they didn't hurt you. They will never hurt you again."

He could feel her anger growing. She shook her head. "I'm so sick of this. Why can't they just leave us alone?" He noticed her eyes flash yellow.

He held her tightly, "Sweetheart. Shhh….. We're all safe. All of us are alright. You know we will be."

Rose held him tightly as he kissed the top of her head. "It's all over, Rose."

Jack, Lewis and Pete came into the room. Lewis had a black t-shirt in his hands. "Hey! Got you a clean shirt!"

Jack teased him, "Alright! I'm just in time to see a half naked Doctor! It's my lucky day!"

Rose laughed at Jack, wiped her tears and let the Doctor go. He grabbed her hand quickly as Lewis handed him the t-shirt. He slipped it on as Lewis spoke.

"The family is secure. Jake and Summus are handling the investigation down at the site. I'm going to send Jake and Jack to Torchwood with some of the Guard. The fifteen men who took you lot pulled out their GPS' trackers there in an office."

The Doctor took Rose's hand and kissed it. She heard him speak in her head, _'Please stay right here with me.'_

Rose looked at him in surprise, _'Are you alright?'_

 _'I just need you here with me. I'm alright.'_

The Doctor nodded his head, "Lewis, that sounds good. How is Logan?"

Jack nodded, "Logan is fine. He's asleep. Looks like you've been a fight as well. How did you do?"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "I'm here. Don't worry about me, Jack."

Jack laughed, "Right…. That good, huh? Somethings never change."

Pete looked at Lewis. "I'll go to Torchwood and help sort this out."

Lewis looked at the Doctor and they both said at the same time. "No."

Lewis explained, "During a Protocol One, you have to stay out of Torchwood. I'm certain there are still people who are responsible for this, there."

Pete pointed at the Doctor. "We need to have a chat, about your damn Protocols and shit."

The Doctor smiled, "Oh, I'm sure we do, Pete."

Pete looked pissed. He pointed at the Doctor. "But, let me guess. He can go?"

Lewis looked at the Doctor. "Well, yeah. If he wants to. I'd rather he didn't though."

The Doctor shook his head and held Rose's hand tighter. "I've had enough excitement for tonight. I'm opting out. Jack. Jake asked for you on the surface. He's fine."

Jack shrugged his shoulders, "I'm sure he is. Jake's tough. I'll join him in a minute. I feel that the father in law is going to cuss you out, and I am in need of some cheap entertainment."

Pete stood with his arms crossed, "So, you are staying. Because you want to? Is that right, son?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Well, yes and no. I shouldn't be in there, neither."

Lewis smiled, "Good man. He knows my blood pressure doesn't go much higher."

Rose looked confused at the Doctor. He kissed her hand.

Rose had reached her limit. She let go of him and held out her hands. "Alright! I've had enough of this!" She shouted and pointed at the Doctor. "You! There's something else going on here. Why are you the one telling everyone what to do? What the hell is going on?"

All of the anger and fear she had been bottling up bubbled to the surface in her explosion.

Jack smiled, "Better, Rose is going to cuss him out! This is Ace!"

The Doctor looked at Jack, "Shut up, Jack."

Rose pointed at Jack, "You stay out of this. I'm sick of you not telling me stuff!"

The Doctor rubbed his face as he leaned against the cabinet. "Yeah, I was going to tell you all of that tonigh-"

Rose put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "You can just tell me about it now, Old Man."

Jack clapped his hands together, "Hell yeah! Kick his ass, Rose!"

She pointed at Jack. "You just shut up, Jack! I know you are in on this, too!"

Jack held up his hands, "Fair enough! I'm out of this!"

Pete crossed his arms and stood next to Rose. "Yeah, I'm with you there, Rose. What the hell is going on?"

The Doctor pointed at himself. "Alright, but to be fair…I did tell you I was going to tell you about this tonight. I haven't had the time to tell you until now."

Rose crossed her arms and nodded her head. "Yeah. That's true. Alright."

The Doctor pointed at himself. "And Rose, I really don't think it's me you are cross with."

Rose thought for a moment, "You might be right."

The Doctor looked at her, "Calmer?"

Rose returned to shouting at him, "Hell no! I'm not some child you can keep in the dark and just tell her a spoonful of information at a time! Just start explaining."

Jack rocked on his feet in excitement. "Lewis, $100 says she hits him. You game?"

Lewis rubbed his chin and smiled, "Oh yeah."

Pete pointed at himself and told Jack quietly, "I'll take a piece of that."

Rose turned and yelled, "Shut up, you lot!" She pointed at the Doctor, "You. Something is going on here and you are keeping it to yourself again. I can tell."

Stark walked in with Legate. He looked back at Legate. "What did I tell you, man? Mom and Dad are fighting."

The Doctor shook his head, "This is not how I wanted to tell you this, Rose."

Lewis stood next to the Doctor. "Rose, he'll explain it all to you."

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Geez. Lewis. Where do I start?"

Lewis thought, "Christmas! That was it."

The Doctor snapped, "Yes! Christmas. Rose. I had intended this would be a Christmas gift to you. Well if it had gotten approved." He put his hands in his pockets and looked at her.

"Christmas?" Rose asked.

He nodded his head, "Yep. Summus is Primus, which is similar to a General within the Quauhtin Guards. Summus wants to return to train other guards, but needed a Primus here to be left with this unit. Lewis went through the trials to get a higher rank, and so, I did the trials with Lewis."

Jack covered his mouth in surprise, "So, that's how you did it?"

Pete waved his hand, "Hang on, son. You're not a Quauhtin."

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, "Neither are Gobbo or Adriano. But, if you can pass the trials, you can be a member of the Guard."

Tony shook his head, "Well, hang on. You can just jump up to being a General? What about all of the ranks before then?"

"Your past experience goes into consideration. The Time War lasted over 400 years. I fought in most of that. Although, it didn't happen here. Summus and I had long talks about some of the things." He told them as he ran his hand through his hair. Rose could feel how uncomfortable he was talking about it.

Rose shook her head. "Hang on. You're saying you are…. What are you saying?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'm a part of the Quauhtin Guard here. Lewis and I are the same rank."

"Why would you do this? This isn't you. You don't even carry a gun-"

He groaned and dropped his head. "I've explained a million times why I won't carry a damn gun. I'm not bringing that into this conversation."

Stark crossed his arms, "Well, I've never heard that explanation."

Rose snapped at him, "Shut up, Tony!"

The Doctor continued, "Don't you see, Rose? We can't go anywhere on our own. We always have to have one of the Guard with us. Now we will. Me! I didn't say anything while I was doing the trials because, well…. Time Lords don't exist here and we didn't know if I could join being something no one has ever heard of before."

Jack crossed his arms, "And you had to pass the trials."

The Doctor looked at Jack and nodded his head. "Yes. I wasn't sure if I could."

Lewis smiled proudly, "I never had a doubt he would pass the trials. The sword fighting and hand to hand combat pushed him over the edge. He got approved. And as far as his species, we lied a bit on that."

Pete looked surprised, "What did you say he was? Human?"

Lewis shook his head and smiled, "We told them he was a Rixalarian."

Pete laughed, "Shit! Like Genie! Makes sense!"

The Doctor smiled, "Having King Clagl to call and speak with Luce's people didn't hurt, either."

Lewis crossed his arms, "It helps to know people."

"Indeed."

Rose covered her mouth in surprise. "But, that means you will have to serve in the Guard and-"

He shook his head and smiled, "No. I'm a Primus. Just like Lewis. I can help guard the family. Help with planning, basically what I already do for everything else."

Pete smiled, "Damn. This is some shit. This means, just you and I can go places."

The Doctor looked up at him and nodded, "That's right."

Tony waved his hand, "Hang on a minute. You mean, you are one of these damn ghosts now? With the head talking and phasing?"

Lewis and the Doctor shook their heads, "No."

The Doctor explained, "There's no way I can phase. I had spoken to Summus about it, months ago. He had me join the unit so I could hear them talk in my head. He thought it would drive me mad enough I wouldn't pursue anything further. But, little he know, I'm mad already."

Rose giggled, "Well, that's true."

Jack asked, "Hang on there. What happens if the Guard moves on to another family to protect? You will have to leave Rose-"

He was already shaking his head. "No. I just leave the Guard at that point."

Pete looked impressed. "Damn. Wow. If I'm understanding this correctly, an congratulations are in order, for both of you."

The Doctor and Lewis looked at one another and smiled.

Lewis spoke, "Yes. We found out we both were granted Primus this morning. Hell of a wedding gift."

The Doctor took Rose's hands, "Rose, this is not how I had intended to tell you."

Rose smiled and looked away from him, "I feel bad for being cross with you now."

"Don't feel bad about that." He smiled at her.

"Yeah, do! So you can hit him and I can win some money!" Jack teased.

Lewis waved his hand, "No. If she doesn't hit him, I win. Feel bad, Rose. He has been working on this for months. You wouldn't believe the hell he's been through to prove himself, just so he can take you out on a date with just the two of you."

The Doctor looked at Lewis. "Really, mate? Really?"

Lewis laughed, "Man has to try. Rose, I was always on your side. Always. We've known one another a long time."

Rose laughed in disbelief at Lewis. "Lewis, you are such a nutter."

Lewis bit his lip. "So, you aren't going to hit him? Right?"

Rose put her hands on her hips and looked the Doctor up and down. She stepped forward and put her hands gently on either side of his face. She leaned in and snogged him. He relaxed and held her around her waist.

Jack complained, "Gross. I'll never get used to this shit."

The Doctor laughed. He laid his forehead on Rose's. "So, Happy Christmas?"

Rose smiled, "Happy Christmas. Wow. What? Four weeks, early?"

"Ah, time is relative."

Rose teased him, "Said the Time Lord."

They both laughed as they held one another.

Jack waved them off. "Gross. Oh well, that seems all sorted out. Damn. I thought there would be more fireworks than that. I'm going to see what blew up on the surface. Don't wait up. Lewis and Pete, I owe you cash."

Pete pointed at the Doctor. "We need to chat about this Protocol One, son-"

The Doctor held up his finger. "I'm sorry. Genie. Wow. She's really upset."

Legate asked, "Want me to go fetch her for you?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No. You need to get cleaned up. She's really upset. I need to go check on Logan. Lewis, do you mind?"

Lewis patted him on the back. "I'll take care of it. Tony. Come with me."

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	45. Chapter 45 - Tony and Genie

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Chapter 45 – Tony and Genie

Logan lay in the bed in the med bay of the Doctor's ship. Rose watched as the Doctor looked over the screens on the wall and nodded his head. "This all looks good, Logan. You're going to be sore as hell for about a week. Do you want me to send you back to London? To your mum?"

Logan groaned, "Oh, no. I'll just recover at my apartment on the island if it's all the same with you. Mum doesn't need to know I got hurt."

Harriet walked in with Sam. The Doctor held his hands out and took Sam from her. He smiled down at him. "You're right Sam. A lot of excitement for one night." He walked over to sit beside of Rose. She leaned over and smiled at Sam.

Legate walked into the room. He had gotten cleaned up. His wet hair was combed back. "Oh, hey! You're awake!"

Logan grunted, "Hey, Legate."

Tony walked in carrying Genie. He pointed to the Doctor. "See, there's your old man, Gene."

Genie got down and ran to him. The Doctor handed Sam to Rose quickly so he could catch Genie as she jumped in his arms. She held him tightly around his neck. Rose laughed, "Genie, let your Daddy breathe."

Genie didn't loosen her grip, "Licis said someone took him. Someone hurt him."

Tony put his hand on his hip. "Licis doesn't know about your Interrogator. Lewis is speaking to him, and the other new birds, now."

Tony knelt beside of the Doctor and rubbed Genie's back. She let go and looked at Tony. Tony told her, "Gene. Someone did get your Daddy. But, your Daddy is very smart and was able to get away. He always does. He's fought monsters for a very long time. He knows what he's doing."

Genie looked back at the Doctor and spoke between her tears, "But, what if they don't let him get away?"

Tony rubbed her back and smiled, "Gene. That's why he has all of these other guys and me. I'll always go and get him for you. You never have to worry about that. Alright?"

Genie looked back at the Doctor and held him tightly around his neck. He kissed her cheek as he held her. He smiled at Stark. "Thanks, mate."

Tony shook his hand. "All in a day's work." He stood up and clapped his hands together. "Well. Logan. You look like shit, man."

Logan laughed under his breath. "Thanks."

"Looks like I need to stop beating around the bush and give you some fighting lessons. How about, next week?"

Logan smiled, "Let's see how I'm feeling. But, yes, sir. I'd like that."

Tony patted his leg. "Sounds good. I'm going to try to call my lady. Maybe she'll pick up the damn phone. Gene. Your Tony might need your help later."

Genie sat on the Doctor's lap and he wiped her tears. Genie smiled at him. "Sure! What do you need?"

Tony thought for a moment. Then he pointed at Genie. "Hey. Can I borrow her? Maybe for 20 minutes?"

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Pepper sat in a very elegant restaurant in New York City. She was dining with another lady. They were laughing and sipping wine as they ate their salads.

Genie, dressed in a lavender princess dress, walked up to the table carrying a red rose. Pepper looked at her in shock. "Genie! What are you doing here?"

Genie smiled, "This is for you."

Pepper took the flower and smiled. "Thank you, where are your parents?"

The lady with her asked, "Who is this?"

"This is Genie. Rose Tyler's daughter."

The woman looked shocked and covered her mouth, "Holy smokes! Doctor Smith's daughter! I didn't recognize her."

Genie looked at Pepper. "My godfather asked me to bring this to you. Then he wanted me to tell you that he is sorry."

Pepper smiled, "Oh he did, did he? Doesn't he know he needs to learn to apologize for himself?"

Genie pointed at Pepper, "That's what Daddy told him. He says, 'Don't be a child, Tony. Say you are sorry.'"

Pepper laughed.

The woman asked, "This is Tony's doings?"

Pepper laughed, "This has Tony and John written all over it." Pepper looked at Genie again. "Where is your Tony?"

Genie smiled, "He's asked me not to say. Hang on. You need to check your phone."

Pepper rolled her eyes, and took out her phone. There was a message from Tony.

The message read. "I'm very sorry. If you didn't already know, I'm a bit of an idiot."

Pepper smiled.

Then it received another message. "Well, not all of the time. Just when I'm around you for some reason. That's why I've sent in my reinforcements. She can handle the cute, while I handle the apology."

Pepper held her hand to her mouth and smiled, "This is so precious."

Her phone received another message. "I kindof….sortof….maybe…..well actually do…..like you a lot more than I originally planned that I would. I know you said you wanted a break, but these past few days without you have made me realize how much you do mean to me."

Genie leaned on the table and smiled. Pepper covered her mouth and read her phone. Tears formed in her eyes. Her friend asked, "What does he say?"

Pepper giggled, "He's apologizing."

Pepper's phone received another message. "Tell Natasha I said hello."

Pepper looked around. "Where is he?"

Genie giggled, "You'll never find him."

Pepper's phone received another message. "You told me I wouldn't last a week without you. It has been six days. I think. I'm not even certain."

Pepper smiled.

Pepper's phone received another message. "If it's too late, and I've screwed this up beyond repair, tell my Genie "no." I'll leave you alone and you'll never hear from me again. I'll let you live your life in peace."

Pepper wiped a tear from her eye.

Her phone received another message. "But, if it's not too late, and you would like to try, tell my Genie, "yes." I'm going to warn you, I'm a pain in the ass."

Pepper put her phone down. "I think I'm going to cry!"

Genie smiled, "So. What should I tell my Tony?"

Pepper smiled at her. "You can tell him…. Yes."

Genie pointed at her. "Yes! I'll tell him yes." Genie skipped away and became lost in the crowd of people.

Natasha seemed surprised. "She's just skipped through this crowded restaurant like that?"

Pepper shook her head. "I'm sure there's way more going on than we realize."

Tony walked up to the table. "Ladies. I apologize for my interruption of your meal."

Natasha rolled her eyes. "Tony, just sit down."

Tony smiled and sat down. He took Pepper's hand. "So, yes. Are you sure?"

Pepper smiled at him. "Where did your cuteness go?"

Tony waved his hand. "Oh, she's fine. I know right where she is."

Natasha looked suspicious at him. "You do?"

Tony looked hurt at her. He pointed to himself. "I'm the child's godfather. It would be irresponsible if I didn't. She's fine. Anyway. Pepper. I would like to ask you on a date. Would you like to go out with me? Say, tomorrow night? I'll pick you up at your place."

Pepper laughed, "My place is your place. I never moved out."

"Well, whatever. Date. Tomorrow. Could we do that?" he asked.

"Just you and me? No one else?"

Tony pointed at Natasha. "She's busy. What do you think?"

Natasha rolled her eyes.

Pepper smiled, "Of course. Tomorrow. Will you be coming home tonight?"

Tony sat up straighter. "Oh wow. Letting me come home. Ummm. Haven't thought about this. Yes. I could be there tonight. Want to start our date then?"

Pepper smiled, "Yes. Let's do that."

He patted the table. "Right on. It's a date. What time?"

Pepper smiled, "10:00?"

Tony bit his lip and shook his head. "Oh yes. I could do that. I'll be there. I have something to show you. I need to know what you think about it."

Natasha waved her hand. "I really don't want to hear this conversation."

Tony laughed at her. "Right. I'll be home later. I need to get Genes back to John."

He stood up and Pepper watched as he walked away. He seemed to get lost in the crowd and then he was gone.

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	46. Chapter 46 - A New Game

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Chapter46 - A New Game

Rose walked quietly back into the island home's bedroom. It was late at night. The room's lights were turned off and the doors to the balcony were open. The drapes that hung next to the doors blew in the cool, ocean breeze.

Rose walked out on the balcony and found the Doctor lying back in a chair with Sam and Genie on his chest. They were all covered in blanket together. The three of them seemed to be sleeping. Rose smiled at the scene.

The Doctor spoke without opening his eyes, "It could be considered rude to stare at someone when they are sleeping."

Rose smiled, "Then forgive me. You lot are just so adorable out there. I want to burn this image in my mind so I'll never forget it."

He smiled, "I often have the same thoughts."

Rose sat on the chair next to him and giggled.

He spoke, still without opening his eyes, "This has been the longest day in recorded history. We're moving this damn house tomorrow. Right after the game. Or before. I don't know how long that debriefing will last."

"Dad explained that to me. You can really copy this house?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her. "I'm sorry, I should have asked you about that-"

"Nope. It's alright. I get it. This time zone is a problem. But, it will be nice to have this place to return to when we can."

He smiled like a loon at her. "A vacation home exactly the same as our regular home."

Rose laughed quietly at him, "When you do something right, why mess with it?"

He chuckled. "There is one thing."

"What is that?"

"We really need some more flats for the guys. What if we clone them here, then we will have double the space for them in both places?"

Rose's hair blew in the wind, "I think that is a great idea. Who would have ever thought eight flats wouldn't have been enough?"

He nodded his head as he rose up and kissed both Sam and Genie. "I'll have to use both our ship and the _Hamlet_. Summus will be leaving after the King Clagl comes in a few weeks to check up on Ashena."

Rose added, "And Lewis will be in charge of the Guard."

The Doctor pulled the blanket up on Genie and Sam higher, "No. He's in charge as soon as he returns from his honeymoon. Summus is stepping down."

Rose looked at him and smiled proudly, "And you'll be here to help Lewis."

He closed his eyes and relaxed again. "Yes. Lewis and me. But, Lewis is in charge. Not me."

"You are the one that came up with these Protocols and such-"

He shook his head. "That was Lewis and I working together. He had as much a hand in that as I did. It was part of our trials. And I'm certain Pete is going to properly box my ears over it tomorrow during our debriefing."

Rose looked at the ocean.

He could feel her emotions. He turned his head to her. "What's on your mind?"

Rose turned to look at him. "Are you sure you aren't taking on too much? This isn't like before. You can't just pop from one place to another."

He smiled, "Yes I can. I have a bracelet." He held up his wrist to show her.

"I mean, one time to another. I know you were all of these things and probably more before. But this is all at once, in one time. Are you sure you're not doing too much?"

The Doctor rubbed his lips against Sam's head, "No. I'm sure. The most important things take priority over whatever I think I need to do. The safety of this family is my first priority. It just made sense to try to pass the trials with Lewis. It gave him someone to do them with."

"I still have no idea when you had the time to do that." Rose smiled proudly at him.

He smiled proudly, "I'm a Time Lord, Rose. Time management is one of my skills."

Rose laughed, "No, it's not! You suck at that."

He rolled his eyes, "But, it is something I'm working on. Cheeky woman. Blimey!"

Rose looked seriously at him and rubbed his thigh, "Baby, when did you even do this?"

"The trials take place over several months time. Summus supervised everything and set the tasks. It was while you were pregnant. Lewis and I just did a bit everyday together."

"So, you training Logan….?"

"He's Lewis', too. Yes. It's part of that. And it will help Torchwood. See, Time Management, Rose. Three things at once without time travel."

Rose smiled and squeezed his thigh. "Legate told me some of the things you had to do."

"Oh, he did? What has Legate said?"

"Nothing that really surprised me. I'm honestly not surprised you passed the trials after hearing some of it. Strategic planning, space walks, training others, repairing equipment, all of that."

"That's not what he told you that surprised you. Tell me." He insisted.

Rose sighed. "Legate told me that you killed someone tonight. He was saying something about me…"

"Yeah. He's right. I did. Two guys. Legate doesn't know of the other man. I have to put it in a report and discuss it in the morning with Director Tyler. I still can't believe I did it." He sighed.

Rose rubbed his leg. "Sweetheart. What's going on? This isn't like you."

"Rose, I've killed people before. It wasn't like we were at tea together. They had already hurt Logan. That kid took a hell of a beating. They intended to hurt me, or you. Actually, the shit they said they were going to do to you….. Rose. It was just rage. Pure rage. I can't explain it."

"It frightens you." Rose filled in.

He nodded his head. "Yes. More than I can admit. I can't remember ever being like this. I feel, angry. All of the time."

Rose continued to rub his leg. "Maybe it's our marriage bond. You said it would do this."

He sighed as he kissed Sam's head, and held his lips to him. "It could be that. Or that part of Donna that is in me."

"Or both." Rose smiled. "Have you thought about trying to find her here?"

He shook his head. "No. She wasn't very welcoming when I first met her in the other Dimension. I have enough problems without looking for another one."

"I always liked Donna. She was….."

"Psychotic. Physically violent. Mad-" he said.

"Useful. She took you exactly where I needed you to go." Rose told him.

He looked surprised at her. Was he talking to Rose or the Bad Wolf?

"Rose?"

She smiled, "I'm going to bed. Do you want me to take one of these children?"

He held up his hand. "No, I'm fine. Hang on a bit. She took me where you needed me to go? What do you mean by that?"

Rose smiled, "Baby. We've talked about this." She told him as the wind blew her hair in her face.

He looked seriously at her, "Baby didn't understand all of that. Could we chat about it?"

Rose stood up and rubbed her arms. "I'm cold. Let me have Sam and I'll tuck him in."

Rose leaned down and took Sam in her arms. She cradled him as she walked back in the bedroom. She laid him in his cot and covered him with a blanket. She rubbed his back as he went back to sleep.

"I'll just go lay Genie down in her room." He told Rose as he walked through the room carrying a sleeping Genie in his arms.

Rose closed the doors to the balcony and turned up the lights in the bedroom. The Doctor returned and closed the bedroom door. He looked at Rose. "Alright. What we were talking about. You needed me someplace at a certain time."

Rose sighed as she lay across the bed. "I don't want to get into this tonight. It's late."

He put his hands on his hips. "Don't want to get into it. Damn. I've always wondered how you did that. Rose-"

"John." She groaned.

He laughed in surprise. "John?!"

Rose smiled, "It's just easier to get your attention that way."

"Phhh.….that's just…..strange." he grumbled.

Rose smiled as lay against the pillows. "What's strange? You've thought about dropping the title and just being John. Are you still thinking about that?"

He rubbed his hand through his hair. "Hell, I don't know. I've not thought about it in a while. Seems like most people call me 'John' now, instead of 'Doctor'."

He lay down on the bed and grimaced in pain. Rose noticed.

"What's wrong?" She asked him.

He covered his eyes with his arm and groaned. "I bruised my back. I didn't think about it when I flopped on the bed."

"What else hurts?"

He exhaled slowly. "I think it's alright." He looked at her. "You know. I have a game we can play."

Rose smiled, "Finished asking me about things I've already explained?"

He smiled, "Ummm. No. I'm going to figure that out. No. Better idea. A game. Okay. You can ask me anything. If I don't know the answer, I lose an article of clothing of your choice. If you don't know…."

She smiled. "I lose clothing. You've been planning this for a minute. Alright. I have one."

He rubbed his hands together in excitement. "Alright! Ladies first. Yes, ma'am. Ask me."

"What is my favorite type of sweet?" Rose asked him.

He pointed at her. "That is mean. Very mean. You know I don't know that."

Rose bit her lip and laughed, "Ahh…..off with it! I choose trousers. And you do know this."

He rolled his eyes, "I really don't know this. That was one I was going to ask you." He complained as he took off his trousers and tossed them in the floor. "Alright. Tell me. What is it?"

Rose stood on her knees and kissed him, "Revels. Those little chocolates with different things inside of them."

He smiled and kissed her again. "Revels. I like those, too. I really didn't know that."

Rose giggled. "Alright. Your question."

He bit his lip and thought. "Umm…. Where did we first kiss?"

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "Bad Wolf Bay. When you got here."

He smiled and shook his head. "No."

Rose groaned, "You think it was when we were in New New York. That wasn't me. That was Cassandra. Doesn't count."

He chuckled, "No. That wasn't the first time. Jeans! Off with them!"

Rose rolled her eyes. She lay down on the bed and took off her jeans. She tossed them in the floor. He rubbed her hip as she sat back down in front of him on the bed. "I just realized you had to change your clothes from the State Dinner. Who helped you out of that dress?"

Rose smiled, "Lewis. And he blushed like mad. You should have seen him."

He smiled. "I bet he did. You owe me two articles of clothing. You guessed twice."

Rose sighed, "I don't remember this in the rules."

He waved his hand and smiled, "I'm sortof mucking with the rules a bit. It's a new game. I'm not sure how this will end up."

Rose laughed, "I can guess. Alright. What do you pick for me to remove?"

He snapped, "Your jacket. I can't believe you are still wearing one."

Rose smiled as she took it off and tossed it on the floor. He rubbed her hips and smiled, "Alright. Do you need another guess?"

She pointed at him. "I maintain that wasn't me. So, let me think. Oh, I know. We had just been running from some aliens. I can't remember what they were called. We were exhausted and had been awake for days. You told me that you would take me to a market on…..umm….."

"Aruva Kappa." He filled in.

"Yes. There. I fell asleep on your shoulder and you carried me to my bed on the TARDIS. You thought I was asleep…..and you kissed me when you tucked me in." Rose smiled.

He looked shocked. "I thought you were asleep. You were awake?"

Rose giggled, "I was exhausted or there would have been more than kissing I assure you."

He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head. "Damn. All of this time. I thought ….. well, nevermind what I thought. Oh wow. Revelations in this game."

Rose rubbed his beard, "Was that it?"

He smiled, "No. Good-bye to the shirt."

Rose groaned as he helped her take off her shirt, "I suck at this game."

He laughed, "The best game to suck at! Oh yes! Do you want another guess?"

"No! As I sit here in my knickers. I'll take the socks off since you already have yours off." Rose smiled at him.

He looked at her and smiled, "Two and two. Right. Okay. Shall I tell you?"

Rose smiled, "Let me have a think. I should know this. I'll ask you a question."

He smiled, "Sure. It has to be about you. Not me."

Rose shook her head. "This wasn't in the rules."

"Fine print. I know everything about me. I think. Most of the time." He chuckled.

Rose rolled her eyes. "What is my favorite restaurant?"

She lay back in the pillows and laughed at the confused expression on his face.

"Hang on. I know this. What is it? Damn." He ran both of his hands through his hair.

Rose giggled at him. "You are so adorable with your black eye. Why didn't you use the dermal regenerator on it?"

He held out two fingers. "That's two questions. I could get you on a technicality."

Rose laughed at him, "Show me the yellow card then!"

He chuckled as he rubbed his beard. "Favorite restaurant. Give me a hint, have we ate there?"

Rose smiled with her tongue in her teeth. "No."

He held out his hand, "No, we haven't or no you won't give me a hint?"

"No." Rose laughed.

He laughed, "I'm bleeding into you I believe. That sounds like me."

Rose teased him as she pulled her bra strap down and rubbed her breast.

He rubbed his beard and watched her, "That isn't helping."

She smiled, "It's not meant to. I'm calling it. Off with the shirt!"

He took off his t-shirt and tossed it on the floor. "Fine. I don't remember a time limit being in the rules."

Rose shook her head at him as she rose up to look at his chest and arms. "You are mucking with the rules, I can too."

He sighed, "Alright. What are you doing?"

"Looking to make sure you are alright." Rose told him. "Turn around and let me see your back."

He lay down on his stomach and sighed, "I won't lie, you can tell anyway. It is sore."

Rose ran her hand around the large bruise. "You must have landed on something uneven. It's busted and bruised to hell."

"To hell?" he chuckled.

"To hell. Really." Rose giggled at him.

He rolled over on his side and looked at her. "What's worse? The eye or the back?"

Rose lay down and kissed him. She whispered, "Your back."

He tucked her hair behind her ear and snogged her. _'Rose. Try.'_

Rose was lost in his kiss, _'Try? What do you want me to do?'_

He rubbed his nose to hers. "I'll give you a free pass on our game, try to heal my back."

Rose looked surprised at him. "Sweetheart. I don't know if that is a good idea or not."

"Rose, I trust you more than anyone else in the entire universe. More than even myself. You cooked with my head when I was sleeping; you've healed me when you have slept before. I'm sure you can do this. It's my back, I can't watch you do it. Just try. Please?"

Rose bit her lip. "Sweetheart, I'm not comfortable with this. I messed up your head when I did that-"

He shook his head. "You didn't. And this isn't my head we're talking about. This is my back. Simple bruising."

Rose pointed at him, "That's busted open, too."

"Whatever. Either you try, or I'm going to use some regeneration energy because it really hurts, Rose."

Rose pointed at him forcefully. "You are not going to do that!"

He rolled his eyes. "Okay, I'm teasing. I won't." He sat up in the bed. Rose noticed his face showed the pain. He cupped his hands on her face and whispered, "Rose. I trust you. I love you. Please try." He kissed her slowly. He licked her lips and she opened her mouth for him to bring his tongue in to dance with hers. She ran her hands gently up and down his sides, slowly as he snogged her.

She thought about how they had taken him from her. How they had hurt him. She became angry. And then she became very grateful that he was there with her. Kissing her like there was nothing else in the universe that could be more important for him to be doing in that moment. She could feel the tingle he always gave her when he touched her. She thought of his back as she put her hands on it gently. He jumped quickly from the pain.

"Sorry." He told her as he continued to kiss her.

Rose felt his hands move from her face to her hips. He pulled her knickers away from her skin and she could feel his lust growing. He continued to kiss her as he slipped his fingers under her knickers and rubbed her opening. She moaned, "You can always find that spot."

He smiled at her, "It's my favorite spot. Let me make you shout, now. Thank you, Rose."

Rose looked surprised, "Thank you?"

"Look at it. I'm certain you healed it. The pain is gone." He told her.

Rose moved and looked at his back. It looked as if nothing happened. He could feel her instant fear. He took her hand and told her gently, "Rose. I love you. Nothing changes that. Nothing ever will. You are always my Rose. You will always be my Rose."

Rose covered her mouth, "Baby, this is so strange."

He smiled, "I like strange. Kiss me."

He held her face again and snogged her, pushing her back into the pillows. He kissed her until he felt her fear turn into relief. He smiled at her. "I need to get you out of the knickers. Favorite restaurant. I didn't know it. What is it?"

Rose smiled, "Aunt Bee's. It's a café in London. We ate there once in the other Dimension. I'm not sure if it's here or not. They had the best chips."

He smiled at her. "Better than the German chips?"

Rose rubbed his beard, "No, they are in a class of their own. Oh wow. I want some now."

"I'll get you some in a bit. Would you like that?" he smiled at her.

She kissed him, "Don't leave me. I'll wait."

He nodded as he sat up and looked at her. "Alright. The score is currently bra and knickers to my pants."

Rose teased him, "Your alien pants."

He pointed at her. "Your alien knickers."

Rose laughed, "Okay, it's your turn."

He sat back and thought. "Our first kiss….you're still thinking about that."

Rose shook her finger at him. "No. I've lost most of my clothing over that question. I need another one. You can tell me after the game is over."

"Alright. Fair enough. I'll do that. Okay, another question."

"About you." Rose insisted.

He groaned, "About me. Something you wouldn't know. Damn. Does it have to be about me?"

Rose giggled. "I really don't mind."

He pointed at her. "Okay. Let's do this. This counts as one. If you have taken your medicine tonight…. You keep an article of clothing. But if you haven't, you lose your bra."

Rose raised her eyebrow. "Or."

"Or, you can tell me what's the most incarnations of me that have met at once, that I can remember."

Rose covered her face. "Ugh. So, I can pick one?"

He smiled, "Yes. Pick one."

She smiled, "Four!"

"Wrong! Five! Now, have you taken your medicine?"

Rose was already unsnapping her bra. She tossed it in the floor and lay back in the pillows. "I haven't forgotten I have a free pass. I think I'll save it for our next game."

"Clever strategy." He looked at her and rubbed his beard. "One day, I want you to pose and I'll sketch you. Would that be alright?"

Rose giggled, "Seriously?"

He smiled, "Oh, hell yeah. I can draw pretty good. I want another reason to study all of these curves." He told her as he ran his fingers down her bare chest.

Rose smiled, "Do you have that damn medicine?"

He leaned out of the bed and dug in his trousers' pockets. He pulled out five injectors. He licked each one. After he licked the third one, he put the other ones back in his pocket and tossed them on the floor. "This is it. I'm certain."

Rose pointed at her throat. "Go on and do it."

He gave her the injection. He used the opportunity to kiss her while he was so close. He smiled, "I have a new plan. Let me give those to you. I'll kiss you every time you take it. I love to kiss you. Deal?"

Rose smiled, "Oh, I really like that idea. Alright. Start now."

He put his hand on her cheek and leaned in to kiss her proper. Rose spoke in his mind. _'Our first kiss, do you mean in this Dimension? In this body?'_

He smiled at her. "No. You really don't know?"

Rose groaned and fell back in the pillows dramatically, "I can't believe this. Really?"

He laughed, "It was the body before this one. I was on Platform One. Wasn't that what it was called? I sent you away in the TARDIS and you looked into the Time Vortex and returned to me. You saved me. Well, and Jack. But, no one is meant to look into the Time Vortex and it had taken over you. I kissed you to take it out."

Rose smiled, "Yes, you did. And it caused you to regenerate into this body."

"You prefer this body. I can tell." He teased her.

She laughed at him.

"Yep! The knickers. Off with them!" He told her.

"I'm not even going to protest that." She told him as she slipped them off and tossed them in the floor. She lay back in the pillows and looked at him.

He rubbed his beard and smiled, "I can't even think looking at you. You could probably ask me anything I wouldn't know in this moment."

Rose smiled, "Whisper your name to me again. In my ear."

He looked surprised, "I do remember that."

Rose smiled, "The full thing, not the brief version."

He rolled his eyes, "Alright. This counts?"

"Of course it will. I have no more clothing to take off, so I'll take your pants off."

He nodded his head. "Fair enough."

He leaned up and kissed her neck, then her ear. Then he whispered his name in her ear. He felt her slip his pants off of him and she stroked his already stiff staff.

He looked at her and smiled, "Rose, I love that."

She smiled at him, "I love you. Find that spot again and make me shout."

He smiled like a loon. "Oh, I love this game!"

Rose laughed, "Friday. Play my music. The Doctor's has been corrupted."

Friday spoke, "Certainly." "Hayling" by FC Kahuna started to play.

"Corrupted, huh? That's what we're going to call it? I think hacked is a better term." He told her.

Rose put her hand on his beard. "Oh, shut up."

He lay in front of her and kissed her as she continued to stroke him in her hand. He found her spot easily and she was panting within seconds as she wrapped her leg around his.

He leaned down and kissed her chest. He bit her gently. She began to shout. He smiled as he felt her pleasure. _'Some more?'_ he asked her as he continued to tease the area that was making her wild.

 _'With you.'_ Rose told him.

He slipped inside of her as he climbed on top. He thrust inside of her as he continued to tease the area. Rose was lost in her pleasure already.

He smiled at her. "Don't get very loud. You'll wake up…..oh hell with it. I'll stay up with him." He continued to tease the area, thrust, twist his hips and kiss her. The song changed to the "Mating Game" by Bitter:Sweet.

Rose covered her face with a pillow to shout into it. He laughed and pushed the pillow away as looked at her and whispered, "Shout. Go on. I won't stop until you do."

Rose couldn't think. She could feel him still inside of her twisting his hips and thrusting. He kissed her neck and she felt his warm breath against her skin and heard him moan. She bit her lip and as much as she willed herself not to, she found herself shouting.

He growled deep in his throat and kissed her quickly. "Oh wow! What a ride."

Sam cried from his cot. Rose groaned. He laughed, "I've got him. Stay here. I'll bring you a towel. The gods, woman. Wow."

Rose could only lay in the bed, stunned and trying to catch her breath. The Doctor slipped on his pants and hurried over to the cot. "Sam. Daddy is here. Calm down, son."

The song changed and 'Stop the World I Wanna Get Off With You' started to play by Arctic Monkeys. The Doctor smiled, "Oh, I love this song." He took Sam in his arms and sang along with the song to him as he went into the bathroom.

He came back out and handed Rose the towel and her robe. "There you are, my dear. I think Sam and I will take a shower. Do you want to join us? You can wash the blood out of my hair."

Rose rolled her eyes as she slipped on her robe. "That's a terrible invitation to someone. ' Come wash the blood out of my hair'. Do you hear this, Sam?"

Sam coo'ed.

The Doctor smiled, "He says he is clean enough. He would prefer a feed."

Rose took Sam. "I'll give him a bottle while you take a shower. I need to get some sleep."

He smiled at her. "Right. I'll go get the bottle for you. You two get comfortable."

XXxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxx


	47. Chapter 47 – Singing

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Chapter 47 – Singing

The Doctor got out of the shower and stepped into the closet. He put on his jeans and a grey t-shirt. He ran his hands through his wet hair. He felt where the bullet had grazed the side of his head. The hair was missing now in that spot and it felt very odd against his fingers. He ran his hand across it and looked in Rose's make-up mirror at it. As he stood back up, his silver flask caught his eye. Rose had left it sitting on the make-up table. He stared at it a moment.

Then he heard Legate in his head. _'Hey, man. Are you sleeping?'_

He quickly turned his head away so as not to see the flask. _'Nah. What's up?'_

 _'Party in the med bay. Come on up.'_

He laughed under his breath _. 'I thought I told Logan to rest…'_

 _'Ah….he has too much entertainment to rest, Doc'. Come on up.'_ Legate laughed.

The Doctor turned off the light as he left the closet. He walked over to the bed and picked up his trousers. He found his sonic screwdriver. He held it up and pressed a button on the side of it, then slipped in his jeans' pocket. As he did that, he looked at Rose and Sam. Rose was sleeping peacefully. Sam was coo'ing and kicking his legs.

"Wide awake, huh?" he asked Sam quietly.

Sam looked at him and kicked his legs again.

"How about you come with me and we'll let mum sleep." He asked Sam.

Sam coo'ed at him.

He went over to the cot and got Sam's blanket. He walked over to the bed and wrapped Sam up in it. He picked him up and cradled him in his arm. He pulled the duvet up to Rose's shoulder, then sat on the side of the bed and smiled at her. He placed his hand on her head and closed his eyes for a moment. Sam coo'ed at him.

He looked at Sam. "I'm leaving her a message in case she wakes up before we return. We're just going to the ship."

He leaned over and kissed Rose on her forehead. She smiled as she continued to sleep.

XxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxx

The Doctor and Sam appeared on the transporter pad on the _Asclepius._ It was still sitting directly beneath the Earth's South Pole, hidden by the magnetic field. He quickly walked over and typed in the code on the wall.

"See, you have to do this within the first few seconds, or it will transport you back where you came from. Keeps people from stealing your ship." The Doctor explained.

He walked out of the room and down the hallways to the med bay. Once the doors of the med bay opened, he heard the singing, laughter and music. He laughed, "Legate wasn't kidding. Sounds like we're just in time, Sam."

He walked to Logan's room. Lance and Licis were leaning in the doorway. They saw him and smiled. "Welcome! You're just in time!" Lance smiled.

Licis shook his head. "I'm not sure, he might be a bit late."

The Doctor smiled, "How much alcohol is involved in this?"

Lance laughed as he shook his head. "I'm not sure. We just got here. Legate is playing Beatles music. I didn't realize how much of those I knew."

Legate saw him, "Doc! Get in here! We're singing! Oh! Is the baby sleeping?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah. Sam is wide awake."

Tony pointed at him. "Awesome! You can sing with us. I know you know this one." He leaned over and whispered something to Legate.

Legate smiled.

The Doctor walked into the room. Logan sat up in the bed. Despite his face being full of cuts, bruises and busted lip from the recent kidnapping, his face was lit up with his youthful, charming smile. It probably had a lot to do with Ashena, who was sitting on the bed next to him. Her white hair had been dyed blond. The light from the reflected off of her hair and made it look as if she was glowing.

Tony stood next to the chair that Jack sat in with Jake. Summus leaned against the wall next to him with his arms crossed, laughing. Exton, Timon, Varro, and Poltious also stood in the room.

The Doctor patted Logan's foot as he walked by the bed, "I thought I asked you to rest, man?"

Logan held up his hands, "I've not gotten out of the bed. Legate brought his guitar and then everyone just showed up."

The Doctor laughed at him. "Do you see what Daddy puts up with, Sam?"

Ashena held her hands out. "May I hold your son? He's so adorable."

The Doctor handed Sam to Ashena and stood between Tony and Summus against the wall.

Legate started to play this guitar again. Tony complained. "Dude. Do you know what song I'm talking about? That doesn't sound like it."

Legate groaned, "You are an idiot, man. I know what I'm doing."

Tony shook his head, "The hell you do. Hey, Doc. Pepper got a look at the chest. She is amazed. You're name is God with her right now."

"What? The scarring or-?"

Tony shook his head, "No, the reactor missing. I didn't tell her it was gone. I knew it was going to leave a terrible scar. What did you think we were fighting about?"

The Doctor crossed his arms, "Hang on, you didn't tell her about your transplant?"

Tony shook his head. "No. She would have made a fuss about it. I told her I was on a business trip. I was just tired from that."

"So, you haven't been able to show her your chest because the reactor is gone and it was scarred."

Tony nodded his head. "Yes. If she saw the reactor was gone, it would lead to questions. I had to redirect her….ummm… interests. She got pissed about it. But, we made up for it tonight. I told her everything. Well, about the chest."

"And you left that to come up with this lot?" He laughed in surprise.

Tony shrugged his shoulders. "Jack gave me some of those pills that make you stay up all night. Pepper is asleep. I'll go back before she wakes up."

Legate played a tune. "That?"

Tony held out his hands. "Man, you're killing me here! No! That's not it! Are there any actual Brits in this room?"

Logan held up his hand, "I might be the only one. What's the problem?"

Tony pointed at Legate. "Help this guy, man. Damn. It's embarrassing."

Legate laughed at Tony.

Jack looked at the Doctor's bare feet. "Excuse me, Doctor. This is a hygienic facility, and you should really wear shoes."

The Doctor shook his head as Summus and Tony looked at his feet.

Tony asked, "What's up with that? You are always in your bare feet."

He shrugged his shoulders, "Hey! You lot called me up here. I had just gotten out of the shower. I left my bedroom, and came here. It didn't require shoes."

Jake teased him, "Doc' believes himself to be a ninja. They don't wear shoes."

Jack realized something. "I had forgotten about that. He is a master at…. What is it?"

The Doctor smiled, "Kung Fu. That was a long time ago."

Tony looked impressed, "Are you really?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "A very long time ago. I don't know if I remember any of it."

Jack pointed up at him. "I've seen him in a fight. He does. Logan, have the Doc' show you some of his monkey fighting skills when you heal up."

Logan laughed at Jack. "Sure!"

Tony crossed his arms and looked at the Doctor. "Well, hell. That explains why your feet are so damn ugly."

The Doctor looked at his bare feet. "What?"

Tony laughed and slapped him on the back.

The Doctor laughed under his breath. "Lewis will be sorry he missed this."

Lance called across the room. "We're going to throw you and Lewis a proper party once he returns. Maybe Rose will let you drink again by then."

Tony looked at him, "What? Rose put the brakes on you?"

The Doctor smiled as waved him off. "I don't want to talk about it with my horrid feet."

Summus laughed, "That's it, Legate! That's the song!"

Tony clapped his hands together. "Alright! Let's sing it for Logan. It will make him feel better! Go!"

Tony started singing "Come Together" by the Beatles, as Legate played.

Ashena smiled as she looked at Logan, "I don't know this song."

The Doctor looked at Tony and laughed, "Your British accent is better when you sing."

Tony looked at him after the first chorus, "Alright. Everyone. Hell, everyone knows this song."

The entire room, except Sam, Ashena and Licis sang along with Tony.

Ashena looked at Logan, "Is this even English they are singing?"

Logan smiled at her, "Sortof."

As the song ended, everyone clapped. As everyone got quieter, Sam laughed. The Doctor held out his hands and picked him up out of Ashena's arms. "I knew that was coming! Did you lot hear that?"

They all laughed and cheered for Sam. The Doctor laughed and kissed him quickly as he cradled him in his arms again. "Daddy is so proud of you, Sam. Do you like hearing everyone sing?"

Ashena smiled, "I think he must."

The Doctor nodded his head. "He does. Logan, you pick. What should we sing?"

Logan smiled, "'Bad Moon Rising' by CCR. Do you know that one?"

Tony looked surprised, "You know that one? That's an American song!"

"They play that on radio in England, man. Geez." Jack told him.

Logan nodded. "Yeah. It was my Dad's favorite band. Legate, do you know that one?"

Legate smiled, "My Father likes them, too. That's a fun song to play." He started playing the tune.

The Doctor teased, "We'll all have to sound like Howie. Sing on, boys."

Most of the room sang to it. Tony and Summus leaned on the Doctor's shoulders and sang loudly to Sam.

Once they finished the song, everyone laughed and clapped. Sam laughed loudly again. Tony smiled down at him. "You like that, huh? Rose is going to kill your Daddy for keeping you up all night."

Jack asked, "So, Doc'. You're feeling alright? That's one hell of a black eye."

He smiled, "I'm fine. Legate? Jake?"

Jake rubbed his shoulder. "I popped the shoulder again. That shit just doesn't seem like it's ever going to get better. Jack gave me something. I'll be fine."

The Doctor rubbed his beard. "See me in a few days if it isn't. Legate? Poltoius? You're alright?"

Legate smiled, "We're fine." Poltoius smiled and patted his son proudly on the shoulder.

The Doctor looked at Ashena. "What would your father think about this madness in here?"

Ashena laughed, "He would approve. It's good fun. It's good for healing Logan."

The Doctor watched as Ashena looked back at Logan and they smiled at each other.

Tony had his phone out, "Legate. I have a song we can sing. But you can't play it on the guitar. It's fitting for this situation with John and these assholes that keep kidnapping people."

All of the men coughed. Tony looked up. "What? What did I do?"

They pointed at Ashena. Tony waved his hand. "Hey. I was there this morning when she said she wanted to be treated like everyone else. Princess, am I mistaken?"

Ashena laughed, "Nope. You are correct. Please, treat me like you would anyone else."

Tony nodded his head as he looked down at his phone. "See? Fuck all of you idiots. She's getting the true, Earth Experience here. We're singing to relieve stress since Rose won't let the Good Doctor drink."

The Doctor rolled his eyes and looked down at Sam.

Summus held out his hands. "Come to Summus, Sam."

The Doctor handed Sam to Summus and looked at Tony's phone. "Yes. That one."

Tony looked back at him. "My thoughts, exactly. But, everyone has to be loud. Let's wake up Antarctica!"

Jack looked confused, "There's not colonies there, yet? Are there?"

The Doctor shook his head and smiled. "No."

Tony's phone started playing Twisted Sister's "We're Not Going to Take It." The Doctor shot his phone with his sonic screwdriver and music seemed to fill the room as if they were at a concert. All of the room smiled and sang along.

XxxxXxxxxXxxxxxx

Jack, Jake, Tony and the Doctor walked down the ship's hallways. The Doctor was carrying a fussing Sam in his arms. "Oh, I hear you. Daddy will fix it. Geez."

Jack stretched his arms out and yawned. "I think it's beginning to catch up with me. How many days can you go without sleep, Doc'?"

The Doctor shook his head, "Sleeping is like breathing. It is a fundamental human requirement. How long has it been since you slept?"

They arrived at the Doctor's suite on the ship. Tony pressed the button for the door to open, and they all went inside.

Jack waved him off. "Hell, I'm not even sure."

Jake put his hands on his hips and looked at Jack. "Damn it. If you won't listen to me, listen to him. Tell him, Doc'. He needs to sleep."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm dealing with a nappy at the moment. Jack is a grown…..well….. child. He can wait a minute." He walked into his bedroom to change Sam.

Tony laughed and teased Jack. "Maybe Jack needs his nappy changed."

Jack rubbed his face and started to sit on the sofa. Tony yelled at him. "Hey! Bitch! You are filthy! Cover the sofa with a blanket or something before you sit down on it."

Jack looked at his trousers that were covered in dirt.

He nodded his head. "Right. Thanks."

Jake laughed at Tony's outburst. "You are fun to have around, man."

"Yeah, whatever. Someone needs to keep an eye out for you idiots. Who wants a drink? Doc? I'll get you a root beer."

The Doctor laughed from his bedroom. "Thanks, Tony. A cup of tea would be preferred."

Tony nodded his head. "Right. A cuppa said the British alien guy."

Jack finished spreading a blanket on the sofa and collapsed on it. "Jesus. I've never been so damn tired. Jake. I might just crash here."

Jake laughed and rolled his eyes. "You need to crash someplace. That's as good as any."

Jack rubbed his face. "Shit. What a damn day."

Jake pointed at Jack. "We're not going to even bring that up. Shut it."

The Doctor came back in the sitting room with Sam. He lay him down in the round cot they had gotten him on Plentitude. "There. All cleaned up and warm."

Sam coo'ed.

The Doctor looked around, "You guys see a umm… it's like a white rabbit?"

Jack shook his head as he rubbed his face. "I think I'm hallucinating. The Doctor is chasing a white rabbit."

Tony found the stuffed animal lying on the dining table. "This?"

The Doctor saw it, "Yep!"

Tony tossed it across the room to him. The Doctor caught it and handed it to Sam. Sam put it in his mouth and coo'ed again.

"Thank you, Tony." The Doctor said as he sat in the floor and watched Sam.

Tony passed Jack and Jake a bottle of beer each. He handed the Doctor a cup of tea and sat down with his bottle of beer.

Jake smiled, "Don't worry, Doc'. I'll have yours tonight."

The Doctor looked back at Jake. "Thanks."

Tony asked, "So, what are we not talking about tonight?"

Jack didn't uncover his face and groaned, "This shit with Torchwood. Please don't make me talk about that. It will all come out in the debrief meeting in a few hours. Bloodiest mess I've ever-"

"Hey! We're not talking about it." Jake insisted.

Tony looked surprised at the Doctor. "He's an American. Does he mean 'our bloody' or ' English bloody'?"

Jake insisted forcefully. "We're not talking about it! Jesus."

Tony sipped his beer. "Alright! Simmer down. Have another drink. Anyway. So, Rose has you off the juice. What brought that on? Did you do something stupid?"

Jack came to and sipped his beer. "I'm sure that was it."

The Doctor sipped his tea. "She has concerns. She's not asked me to stop, just to take a break."

Jake laughed, "Then you will be back at the party soon!"

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "I guess. I don't know."

Tony shook his head. "Whipped. That's what you are, man."

Jack laughed without opening his eyes, "That's something I've not heard in a long time. My friend, the ancient Doctor, the Oncoming Storm, is whipped."

Tony sipped his beer. "The what?"

The Doctor shook his head. "No one calls me that anymore. I've even thought about dropping 'Doctor.' Just being John."

Jack rubbed his face. "Christ, I know I'm hallucinating. You, stop being the Doctor? Rose want you to do that, too?"

He shook his head. "No. It's something I am thinking about. I haven't decided."

Tony looked surprised. "Doctor…it's like your name? Right?"

He nodded his head. "It's my title. My name is hidden."

Jack waved his hand. "Yeah, he's weird like that. I say, stick with John. New place. New you. Try it! Hell! Why not?"

The Doctor smiled and shook his head. "I don't know. It's strange hearing it."

Jack opened his eyes and pointed at him, "I'll tell you what is strange. You being Daddy. Not only to this baby, but to Genie."

Jake smiled, "I think it's sweet."

Jack pointed at him. "And have you seen him do Genie's hair?"

Tony laughed, "I've never seen anyone do a girl's hair like that. I told him he would make an awesome gay man."

Jack smiled at Tony. "I've told him that for years. Oh, how I've tried to convince him to jump on the bus."

Jake laughed and shook his head. "Doc'. Don't let these idiots wind you up."

He shook his head. "They aren't."

Jake pointed at the Doctor. "Rose is happier, and safer, than I think I've ever known her. I know why. I'm glad you are here, Doc'."

Tony groaned as he got up and stretched his back. "Oh, shit. Jake is a 'I love you, drunk.' Fuck this. I need to get back down to Pepper." He turned around and pointed at the Doctor. "You need to get back to Rose. She'll be pissed if she wakes up and you aren't there."

Jake laughed, "And Jack's dead asleep. Doc'. I'm going to go back with you guys and pop to my apartment. That's alright?"

The Doctor laughed. "Sure. Just let me do one thing."

He got up off of the floor and looked at Jack to make sure he was asleep. He went to the food replicator and said, "Chocolate syrup in a bottle."

Tony and Jake watched as he walked back over to Jack, and squirted the chocolate syrup on his crotch and down his thighs.

Tony laughed hysterically. "Oh, this shit is awesome. He's going to wake up and think he's shit himself."

The Doctor handed the bottle of syrup to Tony and patted him on the chest. "Thanks for insisting on him sitting on that blanket."

Jake laughed, "Brilliant. That's for not calling me."

The Doctor picked Sam up. Tony and Jake laughed as they walked out of the suite. The Doctor turned off the light and walked out of the door. The room was filled with Jack's snoring.

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	48. Chapter 48 – Sunrise

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Chapter 48 – Sunrise

Rose was lying in a field with very long grass. She looked up at the sky and watched the clouds slowly go by. The cool breeze blew her hair in her face. She rose up to twist it to the back of her head and lay back down. She didn't notice she was suddenly not alone in her dream.

She continued to look at the sky. She felt the familiar touch as the Doctor rubbed her stomach. She smiled. "You've not been in my dreams in a while."

She turned to look at him. He was lying on his side with his head propped up on his fist, watching her. He was wearing his jeans and a light blue oxford. "What are you looking at?"

She smiled at him. "You."

He smiled, "I'm not in the sky. What were you looking at?" He lay down and put his head next to hers.

"When I was a little girl, I used to watch the clouds go overhead. I used to pretend they were different animals or ships or something. I would try to see something in clouds. Something no one else could see." She told him.

"I've done this. It's been a very long time, but I used to do this. It's rather….relaxing. This is a nice dream."

Rose sat up and laughed, "You must have Sam in the bed with us. He always calms me down like this. Is there something to that?"

He smiled at her. "I knew you would figure that out. Sam can sense your feelings, like we can, but he can alter them. Thankfully, he only seems to be able to sooth people's moods and calm them down. He'll be a hell of a mediator one day. Just what I need for Jackie Tyler. Damn."

Rose held her hair out of her face. "Really?"

He looked up at her and smiled. "Your son? Not do something….odd? He didn't need any of me to be strange."

Rose sat up in front of him and ran her hand across his beard. "Baby. I know that is a sensitive subject with you. It shouldn't be."

He nodded his head and kissed her hand as he sat up. "I know. I really shouldn't be. He's still my son."

She looked at him seriously, "I fear that you see him differently. "

"No. I don't." He tried to reassure her as he looked in her eyes.

She rubbed his chest. "You sing to Genie in Gallifreyan. You don't do that with Sam. You always speak English to him. You spoke to him in Gallifreyan, until you found out he was completely me."

"I don't do that. Do I?" He thought, "I do. I didn't realize I did that."

Rose continued, "I know you believe everything those computers tell you, but I will never believe it. There are parts of you that I see in him."

He smiled, "Like what?"

She held his hands. "He has freckles. I never had freckles. You do."

"Oh, you had freckles. Didn't you?"

Rose smiled, "No. I used to get a marker and dot them on my face because I wanted them so much."

He laughed, "Oh, you didn't. That's mad."

She laughed, "Oh, I did. It would make Mum go mental. He also seems to just accept whatever goes on. No matter how loud the house gets, who's holding him, who's speaking to him. He just goes with it. Mum says I was never like that. I only wanted her and Dad. Then, just her. She could never put me down. He is very happy to be to himself. Alone in a cot. Or in someone's arms. That's completely you."

He shook his head, "I don't know. You didn't seem that way when I met you."

Rose smiled, "I was nearly a year old, then! Did you hold me when I was a baby? I don't remember."

"Yeah. I wasn't going to tell you, but your mum handed you to me. I fumbled about and dropped you. You landed on the hard floor directly on your head. Explains a great deal." He teased.

Rose playfully smacked his shoulder as he laughed, "Oh, you didn't. Shut up."

He looked away and bit his lip. "I don't remember. I don't think I did. I was a bit preoccupied with reapers then. Man, that was strange day."

Rose nodded, "Yes, it was. I try not to think about it. It's very…..surreal."

He could feel her sadness. "I should probably test him again-"

Rose rubbed his chest. "No. No more tests. I don't need a computer to tell me what my heart already knows. Believe me. He's not 100% me. There are some bits of you in there, too. He is really, your son."

He smiled at her, "Our son."

Rose smiled at him. "Yes. Our son."

He kissed her hand, "Thank you for telling me this Rose. You're right. I do treat him differently. I shouldn't. I don't treat Genie any differently. Maybe it's because she's a girl. I'm used to girls."

Rose held her hair out of her face as the wind continued to blow. "You never had a son?"

He looked at her and smiled painfully. "I did. I just was never around when they were growing up. Never really knew them. It was forbidden because of…. well… some stuff. I resented it for years. I knew my nephews more than my children. I could be uncle without a problem. A father. No. Never was supposed to happen."

Rose held his hand. "I'm so sorry."

He shrugged his shoulders, "It was just how that entire thing…was. It ended up being the best for them, though."

She held his hand tighter. "How could that be the best?"

He looked at her and sighed, "You don't want to hear this. I'm sorry I even-"

She moved closer to him and put her finger over his lips. "This is part of you. I know you don't want to talk about it. Not ever. I am surprised you have said as much as you have. Know that you can talk to me about this. About anything."

She could sense he didn't want to say anymore. He ran his hand through his hair and threw some grass that he had pulled up. "Ahhh…. That was a long time ago."

Rose held his hand. "It still hurts. One day, you'll want to talk about it. You can talk to me when that day comes. I don't want you to feel that I don't want to hear anything you might ever want to say. Sometimes, things need to be said."

He smiled at her. "Thank you, Rose. May I kiss you? Please?"

Rose smiled, "You know you can. Always."

He leaned in and snogged her proper.

Rose woke up and found that she was still being kissed slowly by her beloved. She felt his hands on her cheeks as he sucked her bottom lip. She smiled at him. "I could wake up like that every morning."

He chuckled, "I have something to show you. Stay here."

He got out of bed. Rose noticed he was wearing his jeans, but had removed his shirt. It was still dark outside of the windows of their island bedroom. He walked over and carefully picked up Sam. He positioned him on his chest. He walked back over to the bed and lay down gently so he wouldn't wake the small baby.

Rose turned on her side as she watched him. Sam lay on his stomach, high on his Daddy's chest. The Doctor whispered, "Watch this."

He quietly sang, "Fly me to the Moon" by Sinatra.

"Fly me to the moon, let me play among the stars. Let me see what spring is like on….Jupiter and Mars. In other words, hold my hand…."

Rose smiled as she listened to him sing to Sam. Sam smiled and laughed as he continued to sleep.

He stopped singing and smiled at Rose. "I knew it wouldn't be long. He likes to be sung to."

Rose covered her mouth and cried. "He really laughed."

"He really did." He smiled at her.

She rose up and kissed Sam on the head. "You make your Mummy and Daddy so happy, Sam. You bring so much happiness in our world. I love you, little boy."

Sam smiled in his sleep.

The Doctor kissed Sam's head. "You are so special, Samuel."

Rose smiled at him, "Tell him that in Gallifreyan. Let him hear that."

He sighed. "Gallifreyen."

Rose smiled, "It's such a beautiful language. I love to hear you speak it."

He kissed Sam's head and held his lips there as the thought. Rose smiled as she listened to him speak to Sam in the ancient language. He seemed to say several sentences to him. Sam laughed again his sleep.

Rose smiled, "I think he is laughing at your voice."

He smiled proudly, "Maybe that's it."

"What did you say to him?"

He smiled, "I told him, 'The things we deeply feel, we often will never say. Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. No matter what you do with your life, or whatever happens, I will always see you as the love that created you'."

Rose smiled, "That is so beautiful."

The Doctor kissed Sam's head. "Our son, Rose."

"Our son." She leaned down and kissed the Doctor.

Sam wiggled in his Dad's hands and started to cry.

"Oh, geez. I'll put you back in your cot then. Just a bit." The Doctor got up and tucked Sam back in. He stood and watched him as he drifted back to sleep.

Rose smiled at him, "Come back to bed."

He climbed back in the bed with her. She laid her head on his shoulder and ran her fingertips across his chest. "You feel tired. How long were you on the ship?"

He rubbed his face. "I've only just came back. I took Sam with me. Logan was having a party to make him feel better. It made us all feel better, honestly. It was a lot of fun. We sang all night."

Rose giggled, "You, singing? Really?"

He kissed her head, "The entire room was singing so I'm sure I was completely drowned out. No one sings louder than Tony. Geez, that man."

"Who all was there?"

"Jack, Jake, Tony, Legate, Ashena, Summus, Polotius, Lance, Licis, and some more of those guys." He sighed.

Rose teased him, "Logan and Ashena…."

He rubbed his face and groaned. "Legate is keeping an eye on them for me. Although, I am reminded of Sam and Lewis."

Rose looked confused, "What about Sam and Lewis?"

He rubbed his face, "Oh, that's the best story. I'll tell you that one sometime."

Rose settled back on his chest. He rubbed her back with his fingertips. "Jake and Jack were finished already at Torchwood?"

He laughed under his breath. "Yeah."

"I can feel that. What have you done to Jack?" Rose asked him as she sat up to look at his face.

He smiled, "Me? Rose. I'm hurt. Would I do something to Jack Harkness?"

Rose glared at him. "Oh, you would. And I know he deserves it. What did you do?"

He laughed as he bit his lip. "I took a bottle of chocolate syrup and squirted it all in his lap. He was asleep. Poor Jack had an accident. He's going to think it was way worse than it really was."

Rose laughed at him. "You are bad. Did you bring it back with you?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I think Tony took it. There wasn't much left."

She smiled at him, "That's too bad. I could have shown you what else you could have used that for."

He smiled like a loon. "Oh, I can figure that out. That's a date. Wow. Yes. And whip cream. Actually, I prefer whip cream. It's easier to clean up and I can eat a lot more of it."

Rose leaned down and kissed him. She whispered, "Whip cream then."

He smiled at her. "You don't seem tired. You need to go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you."

Rose rubbed his chest. "I'm glad you did. It's not every morning you get to hear your baby laugh for the first time."

Rose noticed him roll his eyes and think about something for a moment. She asked him, "What's the matter? Your police scanner?"

He stood up beside the bed and shook his head, "No. Come here. This won't take but just a bit."

Rose, still wearing only her blue robe, took his hand and stood in front of him. "What are we doing?"

He smiled at her. "Something you will love." He reached behind her and pulled the duvet off of the bed. He wrapped it around himself and motioned for her to join him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, as he pulled the long duvet around them both. They enjoyed a lovely snog as they carefully walked over to the balcony's doors.

He smiled at her as he opened the door, "Let's take our circus tent outside."

Rose giggled at him. He sat back down in the chair he had lay in with Genie and Sam only hours before. Rose sat in his lap and he wrapped the duvet around the two of them and held her tightly. He kissed her cheek and moaned. "This is the best."

Rose smiled. She was so comfortable wrapped up in the large, fluffy duvet with him. The crisp, cool sea air blew on her face. The sky was purple with beautiful blue and red clouds.

She smiled and whispered, "I've never thought about watching a sunrise out here. This was a great idea."

He laughed quietly, "I knew you would love this. It will pop right out of the ocean in 5 minutes and 14 seconds." He held her tightly. She could feel his chin on her shoulder as he watched the horizon.

Rose whispered, "How close are we to Hawaii?"

"About 400 miles." He pointed to the left. "It's just over there. Well, sortof. Don't try to swim for it."

She giggled, "I can promise that I won't."

"Are you warm? It's cold out here."

"I'm fine." She told him.

He smiled and held her tightly. "Ko'u aloha. That's how the Hawaiians say, 'My love.' I'm sitting out there with he wahine u'i."

Rose smiled, "What does that mean?"

He kissed her cheek and whispered, "A beautiful woman."

Rose laughed quietly as he kissed her neck and her back. "Baby, you aren't watching this sunrise."

He stopped kissing her and chuckled, "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself."

Rose couldn't help how much she was smiling. "This is my favorite place in the world. In the entire universe."

"The beach?"

"No, in your arms. Just here with you. I've never felt so safe or loved in my entire life. You've been here for…."

He thought, "Ummm…Eight months."

Rose smiled, "The happiest of my life."

"Mine, too." He started to kiss her neck again.

"You are going to miss this." Rose told him.

He continued to kiss her, "I promise I won't. I can feel when we spin into it. Your neck demands my attention."

Rose's skin tingled as she felt his warm breath and bearded kisses against her skin. She watched the colors of the sky change and become more orange.

He stopped kissing her and positioned his cheek to hers. He whispered as the sun rose. "And there it is."

Rose bit her lip and giggled, "This is beautiful."

He held her closely, "You are beautiful. Good morning. I need to tell you something. It's extremely important." He kissed her neck again.

Rose smiled, "I love that. What did you need to tell me?"

He whispered in her ear, "I need to tell you that I love you. I've not told you that today. I'm sure of it. You are precious to me."

Rose turned around to face him and smiled. "And I haven't told you today, that I love you."

He smiled at her as he bought her hand up to his mouth to kiss it. She noticed his wrists. She held them up to see them closer. "What is this?"

He grunted, "Ugh. I didn't think about that. It did bruise rather badly."

Both of his wrists were bruised and scratched from being tied up the night before. He felt Rose almost begin to cry. He kissed her hands quickly and shook his head. "Rose, I'm fine."

She covered her mouth and took a deep breath. More to herself than to him, she said, "I'm not going to cry." He could feel that she was very close to breaking down.

He kissed the side of her head. "I need to get you back to bed. You need to rest. You really haven't slept that much at all."

Rose sighed and seemed to pull herself together, "What are you doing? Can you lay down with me for a bit?"

He smiled, "Sure. Will my tablet bother you? I need to get some stuff done."

Rose shook her head. "It won't. Tell me. What do you want for Christmas? I can't believe you have gone through so much trouble for me."

He smiled as he looked in her eyes, "Put a bow on Sam."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Come on. What?"

He thought for a moment. "Better plan, put a bow on yourself." He laughed quietly.

She kissed him. "Okay, I can do that. What else?"

He laid his forehead to hers. "All I ever wanted, I have. I have you. I have us. I'm a very happy man, Rose."

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	49. Chapter 49 – The Climber

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Chapter 49 – The Climber

The Doctor stood in the kitchen of the island home. He was busy cooking banana pancakes and bacon. He was already dressed in his three piece suit. His tie hung loosely around his neck and his vest wasn't buttoned. His jacket lay on the back of one of the bar stools.

Genie was spinning around in the barstool across from him. Zeus watched the Doctor cooking, and occasionally was tossed a bite of something for his patience. The long kitchen table had nine of the Quauhtin men sitting around and chatting animatedly about something.

Genie looked at them, "What are they saying, Daddy?"

He glanced over to the men and smiled, "Adult language, Genie. I'm grateful they are speaking in Quauhtin so you can't understand what they are saying."

Genie pointed at herself, "So, I'm not old enough for that conversation?"

The Doctor laughed, "My child, I don't think I'm old enough for that conversation. And it's not often you will hear Daddy say that."

Genie continued to spin in her chair as the Doctor sipped his coffee.

"Hello?" A voice called from the main entryway.

"In here. Come in." The Doctor yelled back.

Zeus barked and stood in front of Genie.

Genie jumped off of the chair and ran with the dog to meet Tony as he walked in the room with Pepper. "My Tony!"

He was wearing dark sunglasses and drew his face up at her loud shout. He caught her nonetheless and kissed her cheek as he carried her over to the bar. "Gene! Good morning, John. You remember Pepper."

The table of Quauhtin all greeted Tony and Pepper and went back to their conversation.

Zeus returned back to sitting next to the Doctor in the kitchen, waiting patiently for another bite of food.

The Doctor wiped his hands on a towel and shook Pepper's hand. "Of course I remember her. It's nice to see you again, Pepper."

Pepper smiled, "Hi, John. I didn't know that you had a dog?"

He smiled down at Zeus. "No, that's Tony's dog."

Tony quickly pointed at himself. "Not mine, Pepper. Tony Tyler. Where is he? Sleeping?"

The Doctor tossed Zeus another bit of bacon, "Nah. Pete and Jackie went back home last night with Jacob and Tony. Zeus stayed here with us. He thinks he is my dog now."

Zeus whined.

The Doctor waved his hand. "Yeah, you can be my dog, Zeus. Tony and I will share you. You need to have a biscuit or something instead of all of this bacon."

Zeus barked and lay down on the floor.

The Doctor pointed at him. "You are a junky. A bacon junky." He tossed him another bite.

Pepper sat down at the bar, as Tony sat Genie down back on the barstool. She pointed over to the Quauhtin. "Daddy says there is a lot of adult language going on over there with that lot."

Tony looked surprised, "Really? That's the conversation I want to be part of."

Pepper playfully smacked him. Genie rolled her eyes.

The Doctor asked, "Come over for breakfast? It will be ready in 8 minutes."

Tony moaned, "No, man. I needed to see you. I needed you to do that thing."

The Doctor looked confused as he sipped his coffee. "The thing? What thing?"

Tony sighed, "I drank too damn much last night. Can you help a brother out here? I'm dying."

The Doctor chuckled. "Sure. Come here."

Tony walked over and stood in front of him. He positioned his hands on the sides of his forehead and within a few moments, Tony yelled, "AH!"

Pepper rolled her eyes. "He's always so dramatic. What is that? Like a chiropractic thing, John?"

The Doctor realized that Pepper didn't know that her, Tony and Genie were the only people from Earth in the room at the moment. He smiled and rubbed the side of his head. "Something like that. Yes."

Tony sat back down next to Genie. He lay his head down on the bar with a loud thump.

Genie laughed at him and walked into the kitchen were the Doctor was cooking. The Quauhtins only got louder.

Pepper pointed at the Quauhtin. "Who are those guys?"

The Doctor smiled, "Our bodyguards. Some of them."

"I can't understand what they are saying. Are they Russian?"

He chuckled as he continued to cook, "No. But, they are speaking their own language. They are talking about…..well.….things guys talk about."

Tony took off his sunglasses and seemed to come back to life. "That shit is amazing. Works every time. Thanks Doc'."

Pepper looked shocked, "What, he's alright?"

The Doctor smiled, "Old medicine."

Tony laughed as he walked over behind the Doctor and poured himself a cup of coffee. "Pepper, coffee?"

"Sure. John, I'm sorry we just popped by unannounced." Pepper told him.

The Doctor pointed at the Quauhtin and laughed, "Do you see that lot over there? They do that all of the time. This house is like Grand Central Station. It's really alright. I don't mind. I love a full house."

Tony handed Pepper a cup of coffee and sipped his own, "Where's Rose?"

"Sleeping. She asked me to wake her before I leave."

Pepper pointed at the loud Quauhtin. "She can sleep through that?"

The Doctor smiled, "My Rose can sleep through anything. Besides, our bedroom has soundproof walls. I insisted on that."

Tony laughed, "Too much information, my friend."

Pepper smiled and looked impressed. "That's important."

Lewis walked in, "And good morning to everyone!"

The Doctor rose his eyebrows at Pepper, "What did I tell you? And, here's another one."

The Quauhtin at the table cheered for Lewis. He patted Tony and the Doctor on their backs. "Coffee is ready? It's going to be a wonderful day!"

Tony pointed at Lewis. "Pepper, this is Lewis. He just got married. Why are you here, man? Aren't you still on your honeymoon?"

Lewis shook his head. "Arla wanted to come home. She said she would rather clean the flat once, than twice later tonight. Besides, I have that debriefing we all have to go to."

Tony shook his head. "Nope. I'm not going to that. Hell no."

The Doctor laughed, "I feel the same way."

Tony sat back down at the bar, "I bet you do. Your father in law is going to picking pieces of your ass out of his teeth by this afternoon. Take him a toothpick. Show him that you care."

Lewis reached around the Doctor and grabbed some bacon out of the skillet. "Damn, it's good to be home."

Pepper smiled, "It smells good. What is it?"

The Doctor laughed at Lewis who was blowing air out of his mouth. "I fucking burnt my tongue."

He laughed, "Banana pancakes. You are joining us in the midst of a crisis at the Smith house."

Tony looked concerned, "Crisis?"

"Still haven't found it?" Lewis chewed at his tongue, touching the burn with his lip.

The Doctor shook his head. "No. Genie's Goofy doll is missing. Lewis, put some sugar on that. It will make it feel better."

Lewis turned around and poured a spoonful of sugar on his tongue.

Tony leaned over and explained to Pepper. "That's Gene's prized thing. Gene. Where are you?"

Lewis and the Doctor turned around to see Genie climbing up on the cabinet. She was reaching for something just barely out of her touch on top of the cupboards. The Doctor spotted it about two seconds before it happened. He dove just as Genie's foot slipped off of the cabinet. He had already fallen on the floor when she fell on top of him just a second later.

Pepper covered her mouth and shouted, "Oh my God! Are you alright?"

The table of Quauhtins were all in the kitchen instantly. Lewis picked Genie up off of the Doctor. He sat her on the cabinet and looked her over with Poltoius.

Summus and Gobbo helped the Doctor off of the floor. After he assured everyone he was alright, he looked over to see that Lance had taken over cooking breakfast. Lewis leaned against the cabinet where Genie sat and returned to drinking his coffee. "She's fine. Killer reflexes. Why didn't we put that in the trials?"

Impressed, Tony laughed and shook his head. "Damn, John."

The Doctor groaned as he put a hand on either side of Genie and leaned into her face. "My Sara Gene. Haven't we talked about climbing on the cabinets?"

Genie had covered her face with both of her tiny hands. "Did I hurt you, Daddy?" Her muffled voice said.

He laughed quietly. "No. Daddy is alright. Don't worry about me. I don't want you to get hurt. That's why I don't want you climbing on the cabinets."

She didn't uncover her face. He tickled her hands gently with his finger. "My Sara Gene, look at me."

Genie uncovered her eyes slowly and looked at him. "This floor is stone. Imagine we're standing on a large rock. When you fall on it, it's really going to hurt. I want you safe. Alright?"

Genie looked at him. "Alright."

He nodded his head. "Alright. I need you to repeat after me. I'm very sorry, Daddy."

He could feel Genie's fear diminish slowly. "I'm very sorry, Daddy."

He smiled. Genie's Rixalarian heritage always kept her from telling a lie. "I promise I won't climb on the cabinets again." He pointed at her forcefully. "Don't say it unless you mean it."

Genie looked at Lewis, then back at the Doctor. "I promise I won't climb on the cabinets, again."

He looked very stern at her. "I am a very smart, important young lady. Not a lizard that climbs on the cabinets to give her Daddy a heart attack."

Genie tossed her hands up, "Daddy! Really?"

He pointed forcefully. "Don't say it unless you mean it. Are you a lizard?"

Tony was laughing under his breath behind them, "I think she might be, John. She sortof looks like a lizard."

Lewis chuckled.

Genie looked around at Tony, "I do not!"

He smiled at her. "Check her fingers and make sure they aren't sticky. That's the way to tell. Lizard girl."

Genie shook her fist at Tony and made a face. The Doctor snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Look at me, Genie. Are we clear?"

Genie nodded her head and sighed, "Yes, Daddy."

He picked her up off the cabinet and kissed her forehead. "Okay. That's sorted. Wow, I'm awake now. Works better than coffee."

Tony looked back at Pepper. She held her chest and was still looking around with a stunned look on her face. Tony laughed at her. "Just a typical day over here at John's. Are you okay?"

Pepper seemed to find her voice. "That was amazing. How you caught her. How did you know she would fall?"

Lewis shrugged his shoulders, "He's just showing off. He's not really that impressive."

The Doctor sighed and shook his head. "Some days. Genie. What were you trying to get? Come show me."

Genie walked back over to him. She pointed up where she had been standing. "One of those jam jars. The empty ones. Just there."

He reached up and handed it to her. "Don't run with this. It's glass."

Tony teased her. "A lizard with a jam jar. Look out!"

Genie sat back down next to him. "I'm not listening to you. You're just trying to wind me up." She went to work using some markers and paper.

Lance put together a plate of food. He showed it to the Doctor. "This what you had in mind?"

The Doctor ran his hand through his hair. "Yeah, thanks Lance. How many are eating? The ten guys, me, Genie, Tony?"

Tony looked at Pepper. "Ever had banana pancakes? It's Gene's favorite."

Pepper smiled, "I'll just have a bite of yours."

The Doctor smiled, "Fourteen. I'll bring Rose a plate. Go program it."

Pepper looked surprised, "Program it? What?"

Tony had been waiting to hear the word. "Oh! Let me! I've only got to do this once. I love this damn thing." Lance handed him the plate. "Pepper, look at what John has. He's going to get us one for our apartment in New York."

Pepper watched as Tony walked to the food replicator. He sat the plate inside and pressed a few buttons. Friday's voice spoke. "Identify meal."

Tony smiled, "Genie's Lizard Food."

Genie looked up at him. "Tony!"

The room laughed. Tony handed the plate to Genie, then went back to the food replicator and said, "Genie's Lizard Food."

Just as if it had been transported from another place, another identical plate appeared. Tony picked it up and gave it to Pepper. "Isn't that the neatest trick?"

Pepper laughed, "That is impressive. John! How did you make such a thing?"

The Doctor sipped his coffee and smiled, "I really didn't do much."

After the rest of the room had their banana pancakes, they all sat down to tuck in. Tony looked up at the Doctor who was leaning against the sink eating bacon. He tossed Zeus bites. Pepper ate some off of Tony's plate.

"John, this is really good." Pepper sounded impressed.

Tony turned to look at Genie. "Gene. Where did you get this Goofy doll? You've never told me."

Genie wiped her mouth. "Disneyworld. Daddy danced with Goofy and it was so funny. The man that took our picture gave him to me."

Tony took his phone out of his pocket. "Disneyworld, huh? In Atlanta? Or L.A.?"

The Doctor thought, "Atlanta. There's one in L.A?"

Tony nodded his head and dialed a number. "Yeah, man. And Dallas."

Within a few moments, someone picked up on the other end of the call. "Hey! It's me. Listen, my goddaughter got a Goofy doll from there what? A few months ago?"

The Doctor thought as he sipped his coffee. "Six months? Maybe?"

Tony nodded, "Yeah. Six months ago. She's lost it and I wanted to get her another one. Can you put one to the side for me to come by and pick up?"

The voice on the other end said something. Tony sat up straighter, "Oh. I didn't think about that. I know I have a picture of her with it. I'll text that over. Could you get the right one from that?"

The voice on the other side said something else.

"Cool." Tony said as he continued to eat and chat on the phone. The voice spoke to him some more.

Tony shook his head. "That's a good idea. I don't know. Hang on." He held the phone to his chest. "Pepper, you are busy until this afternoon, right?"

Pepper nodded her head. "More like tonight. Yeah. Why?"

Tony looked at the Doctor. "Mind if Gene and I go get a new Goofy doll?"

The Doctor smiled, "I don't mind. You have to take two guys."

Tony smiled. "Two? Alright. Hey! Who wants to go to Disneyworld with me and Gene for a little while?"

All of the men at the table volunteered, excitedly.

Lewis smiled and yelled over their cheers, "Two men that don't have to go to the debriefing."

Most of the men groaned and sat down. Varro and Exton remained standing. They looked at one another and cheered. "Hell yeah!"

The Doctor and Lewis looked at one another and laughed under their breath.

Tony spoke on the phone again. "Yes. We'll do that. Thanks. I can have a look at that coaster launcher that isn't connecting correctly to that odd train for you. Have them go ahead and put it back on the track."

The voice on the other end spoke.

Tony continued, "Me, Gene and two bodyguards. Thanks. See you in thirty minutes. I'm right outside of Atlanta now."

Tony ended the phone call and slipped it back in his pocket. "Alright, Lizard girl. We'll go get you another Goofy. You were just too exciting for that other Goofy and he had to go hide for a while. It's his loss. I hear he had problems anyway. You deserve better than that. But, I want to ride some stuff before we come home. No, It's a Small World ride. I hate that one."

Genie was beaming in excitement. She rose up and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Tony!"

He nodded his head. "Yeah, go put on your Lizard shoes. Be sure to grab a sweater."

Genie looked at him confused. "What's a sweater?"

Tony looked at the Doctor. "What is this? A sweater? It's 40 degrees in Atlanta."

The Doctor smiled, "He means a jumper, Genie. Hurry up."

Genie jumped off her stool and ran out of the room with a huge smile on her face.

Tony looked back at Pepper who was staring at him. She asked, "I'm sorry. Who are you?"

He pointed at himself. "Me? I'm just helping Gene out. They are stuck at the damn debriefing all day, and this gets me completely out of it."

Pepper sipped her coffee and smiled. "You are being really sweet."

He rolled his eyes, "Phhh….whatever."

The Doctor looked at Tony, "Thanks man. What do I owe-"

"Don't start that shit. Your money is no good around me. Except if we are betting on something." Tony laughed then pointed at Lewis. "Fill me in, Lewis. Any good bets I need to be in on at the moment?"

Lewis looked up from his coffee and looked at the Doctor. He smiled, "I'll text you that information."

Tony slapped the bar. "Oh, I knew it. Thanks, man."

The Doctor looked back at Lewis. "What about me?"

"I didn't say it was about you-"

"You looked at me. What the hell?"

Lewis shook his head and smiled.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Alright. Fine. You lot have your damn secrets. Do me another one, Tony. Bring home about five of those Goofys. I'm putting a GPS on them all. This morning as been hell looking for that damn thing, and I know she won't sleep tonight without it."

Tony smiled. "That's a good idea. Debriefing. Anything I need to know, text me. Oh. I need to text that picture over to Eisner. He might want to take pictures, is that alright? Or what?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I'll leave it up to you. I didn't know you knew anyone down there. We have their characters on our bone regrowth machines."

Tony shrugged his shoulders as he looked on his phone. "I probably know someone, everywhere. You would be amazed who beats on my door wanting help with technology and the latest thing. I helped them a few months ago with a roller coaster that uses the same sort of launcher they use push Zeppelins out of the docks. Flips you right out on the tracks. 0-70 MPH in seconds. Kicks so much ass. Oh hey, I need you, and maybe Rose, to come back to the Expo. Just make an appearance with us. Pencil me in."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Mention it to Michelle. She handles that. I'm at her mercy."

Tony found the picture he was looking for. "There, John. Is that the Goofy with the Lizard?"

The Doctor looked at the phone and smiled, "Yeah, that's it. I didn't know you took that one of them."

Tony showed it to Pepper. "See, there's Gene and Tony. That's Pete's son."

Pepper smiled, "Such red hair! Wow. Nearly as red as mine!"

The Doctor smiled, "He just keeps it cut really short. I think it might be."

Tony put his phone back in his pocket. "Yeah, Expo. Did you get that sorted with Malcolm?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "I believe so. Hammer still promising something big?"

Tony shook his head. "That's the word. He lost whatever big thing, so he had to get someone to give him some money to do something else. I have no idea what he's thinking about."

Legate and Logan walked in the room. Legate smiled, "Are we too late for breakfast?"

Lance shook his head. "Nah. It's been programmed. Banana pancakes, but we are calling it, "Genie's Lizard Food."

The Doctor rubbed the bruise around his eye. "What does this Hammer guy even look like? I don't know him."

Tony took his phone back out of his pocket. "I'll show you the asshat."

Logan stood at the cabinet making himself a cup of tea. The Doctor looked back at him. "How are you feeling today, Logan?"

Logan shook his head. "I'll feel better after this debriefing is over with. I've never been to one. I'm a bit nervous about it."

"You? It's my ass that's going to get chewed. Pete has had all night to think on it. He hasn't called all day. That's never a good sign. You'll be fine, mate."

Tony handed the Doctor his phone. "There he is. Based in New York State. Upstate some place. I can't remember where."

The Doctor put on his glasses and looked at the screen. "Legate. Logan. Look at this man."

They both walked over to him and looked at the phone.

Legate nodded his head. "Yep. That's him."

Logan sighed, "Yeah. I agree."

Tony looked surprised, "What? You know him?"

The Doctor handed him back his phone. "Turns out I do. Met him last night. At the Palace. With fifteen of his friends."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Wow. He's getting into some next level shit."

"Text me his name. I'll need a guy on him, if he's not part of the crater."

Tony didn't look up. "Done, man. Damn."

Genie skipped back in the room. She was wearing a pair of lavender athletic pants and a jumper that matched. She carried her pink trainers as she climbed back into the chair. She handed her trainers to Tony, who pointed at her plate of food. "I'll tie your shoes if you eat something. You need to be able to throw up if we ride something good."

Pepper laughed, "Oh my God."

The Doctor pointed at Genie. "Sara Gene. You are in charge of Tony. He doesn't need to ride anything that will get his heart rate really high. Keep it calm."

Genie smiled, "Calm. Yes, Daddy."

Tony shook his head and mumbled. "Lizard feet, here."

Lewis walked over to jam jar that Genie had been working on. He looked at it and smiled, "Genie. What is this?"

Genie smiled, "It's a dirty word jar. You guys have gotten way out of hand with bad words."

The Doctor smiled, "Have we?"

Lewis looked confused. "What is this? What is she on about?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "It's supposed to make you stop swearing. You have to put money in it when you mess up and say something vulgar." He turned to Genie and said, "You need to meet a friend of mine named Steve. You two would really get along."

Lewis looked surprised. "Uh. I've never heard of that. Interesting."

Tony already had his wallet out. He rolled up $200 and put it in the jar. "There Gene. That will probably get me through today."

XxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxx


	50. Chapter 50 -Debriefing

_Finally back from our holiday, so we can get back to the adventures. YAY!_

XxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

Chapter 50 -Debriefing

After Tony had left with Pepper, Genie and the two guys that the Doctor insisted he take, the Doctor held a quick meeting with the rest of the Quauthin and Logan.

"Alright. We don't have a lot of time, but we need to go over some things. Most of you are going to the debriefing, but if you are staying, I need you to help prepare for us to clone the buildings here. Arla made a good point. If you clean it once, you won't have to clean it twice when there are two. But, I need to also tell you that Rose, Timon and I chatted about it with Summus. We plan to clone the flats outside first, then the entire island."

Lewis held up his hand. "Hang on. So, we will have double the flats here? Well, and there?"

He nodded his head. "Yes. We now have sixteen Quauhtin, Logan, Ashena, Arla and its honestly just a matter of time before Jake kicks Jack out and he's back here with us."

Several of the men chuckled and nodded their heads. Legate held up his hand. "The island we are cloning to is larger than this one by about 200 meters. You have room if you want to do something there that's not here."

Summus looked back at Legate. "Like what?"

Legate smiled, "A football pitch. Outside."

The Doctor got excited. "Oh! That is a brilliant idea! Yes! Timon, can we do that?"

Timon rubbed his chin and smiled. "Oh, hell yeah. Why didn't we think of that? This process will be done in stages. First the additional flats here. Then the main house in the Atlantic with the workshop, the double flats there, the boats, boathouse and dock, and then a football pitch. Any particular pitch in mind, Legate?"

Legate held out his hand, "Just copy the one at the Royal Gardens. It's simple. Doesn't have a ton of seating to deal with, but enough for a small crowd."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yes. Run a foreign object on it before it's completely placed to rule out any sharp rocks, Timon. Great idea, Legate!"

Timon continued, "Remove anything living. Plants or animals. I will personally take Zeus to the ship after this meeting concludes to ensure his safety. Lance. Your goldfish will need to be secured on the ship as well. The Doctor mentioned he has a plant he needs moved."

The Doctor shook his head. "No. I handled that this morning. Unless Rose has something, I'm ready to go."

Timon nodded his head. "Right. If you have any questions, please ask. No question is a stupid question. I've already put the island defense shield in place, it only needs to be activated once everything is placed. Unless you have a watch, or pop in with someone with a watch, you won't be able to get on the island from Earth."

Lewis asked, "Hurricanes are more frequent in the Atlantic than the Pacific. Will that pose a problem?"

Timon shook his head. "No. The island defense shield can be increased to a dome to protect the island from almost anything."

Lewis crossed his arms and looked impressed. "Interesting."

Summus asked, "Both islands will have a perception filter, right?"

Timon nodded, "It's already in place, just waiting to be activated. I have to say, Varro and Exton were a huge help getting this all sorted yesterday and last night."

The Doctor continued, "Good men. Okay, next. I would like to move the house before the game so we can watch it in the new place tonight. I have no idea how long this meeting will last though, and I know that's probably just wishful thinking on my part."

Summus asked, "What time is the game?"

Polotius spoke, "It's a night game. 8:00 pm."

Summus looked surprised, "That late? We should be fine. What else do you have?"

The Doctor bit his lip and leaned into the back of the chair where Summus sat, "I don't say it enough. Thank you, guys. I would have already grabbed this entire family and ran away from this place had it not been for all of you. I just sent my daughter to Disneyworld hours after I was kidnapped and shot. And I can stand here and not be in a blind panic for her safety because I know now what sort of training each one of you have been through, what you have endured and what you have sacrificed to be a member of the Guard. It's truly an honor to be counted among you."

"Here! Here!" Summus cheered as the rest of the men shouted something in Quauhtin. The Doctor stood up straighter and smiled.

Rose walked into the room, "It sounds like I'm late for the party." She was already dressed in her jeans and long sleeved blouse. She carried Sam in her arms.

The Doctor smiled at her. He turned to the table, "Is that everything?"

Summus shook his head. "No. Lewis is at this moment, officially in charge. I have stepped down. Lewis will be rejoining the unit this afternoon. Is that right, Lewis?"

Lewis nodded his head. "Yes. We've got some new guys and need to be able to communicate with them. We'll do it before the game. Remember, headaches are normal for a few hours after a rejoining. But, if they persist, don't try to be a hero. See the Doctor. He can help with that."

The Doctor nodded, "Right. I already have an injector mixed up. Simple thing. There's no shame in it."

Shakes spoke. "Anyone who can help smarten up any area of the main house, or the flats is to busy themselves here with that. Arla has it on her mind she's going to handle it all, and that's just too much for anyone to take on. You are to assist Arla, or Rose, with anything that they need today. A Quauthin is clean and organized. Make it happen."

All of the men tapped the table.

Lewis smiled, "Dismissed! Get to your posts."

Rose rubbed the Doctor's back. "I got here just in time. Why do they tap the table?"

The Doctor rubbed his beard. "It's like applause. It means they agree." He smiled down at Sam who grabbed the Doctor's finger and put it in his mouth. "Daddy is going to need his finger back. Rose. I really need to go. We're all going to be late and Pete is going to be proper pissed."

Rose smiled, "Go on. Get your jacket and do up your tie properly."

He grabbed his suit's jacket and slipped it on. "Right. Oh, Genie is missing her Goofy doll. Tony has taken her to Disneyworld to get another one. They are just making a day out of it together. I sent Varro and Exton with them."

Rose looked confused. "I'm sorry. What? Tony and Genie went to Disneyworld?"

He laughed, "Surprised the hell out of me, too. She's having so much fun. It's good for them both. She'll be back later tonight."

Rose shook her head and smiled. "When you think it won't get more surprising."

He buttoned up his vest and jacket. "Right?"

Lewis walked up next to him and put his hand on his shoulder. "Two minutes."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Thanks, Lewis."

Rose looked at the guys. Some of them were popping away to the meeting, while others stood and chatted with Timon about the move. Rose looked at the Doctor. "You."

He smiled at her. "Me?"

She smiled, _'Did you get everything finished?'_

He nodded his head. _'I did all of my paperwork, went over all of the case files for the hospital, moved the playground equipment in to the children's playroom downstairs and the TARDIS back in the box. She's in my pocket. Feels strange in my head. She's gotten stronger.'_

Rose smiled at him. "You are going to have double the dirty movie collection by tonight."

He laughed and rolled his eyes, "Lucky me."

Rose laughed, "Be careful. If they came from Torchwood, you could be walking into something."

He looked seriously at her. "I thought about that. Aemilius and Licio are already there with Pete. He's fine. Everything is fine there. They even moved my office." He smiled at her. "It's on the other side of the building where no one can shoot at me. It's the little things in life."

Lewis walked back over. "Alright. Let's go."

He leaned in and kissed Rose quickly. "I'll see you tonight. Let me know if you need me. I'll pop immediately back to you."

Rose smiled, "Go deal with Dad."

He leaned down and kissed Sam. "Be good for mum."

He popped away.

Lewis looked at Rose and smiled. "Your tea and breakfast is waiting for you on the bar. He was going to bring it to you in bed, then leave."

Rose smiled. "I love that man."

Lewis smiled and popped away.

XxxxxxXxxxxxxXxxxxxx

The Doctor's new office was twice as large as the other one had been. One entire wall was floor to ceiling windows, and the view looked out over everything in London. All of the men had popped directly inside of it and were looking it over.

Legate walked over to the windows. "You would have to be one hell of a sniper to get this shot."

The Doctor looked around, "Yeah."

One side of the room held a wooden desk with a tall chair behind it. Three black cushioned chairs sat in front of the desk. A painting hung behind it.

Logan smiled at it. "Van Gogh. Nice touch."

The Doctor nodded, "One of my favorites of his. Starry Night. I always wanted to meet him."

Over near the windows sat two sofas and four chairs around a large glass table. To the right, was a small bar and a door that lead to an executive suite complete with a bed and bathroom. To the left, stood door that lead to a conference room encased in glass. The long wooden table had at least twenty chairs around it. Michelle was in the room setting down water bottles and talking to Logan.

Jake walked in. "Pete's not here yet?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah. Haven't heard from him today."

Jake nodded his head. "He was up at the space dock last I heard. Everything was cleaned up, he just wanted to see it for himself. All traffic is still shut down. It is just a damn mess."

The Doctor looked confused, "What?"

Michelle spoke, "Excuse me, Doctor Smith. I'm sorry to interrupt. Pete asked me to have you start the meeting and he'll be along in just a few minutes."

He nodded his head. "Right. Ummm. Logan…"

Michelle smiled, "He's breathing. He's not hurt, badly. He's doing something he loves. He's as safe as he can possibility be. I'm grateful. Don't think I'm going to be cross if he shows up with a black eye from time to time. I have six sons. Two of my other ones have a black eye for far less noble reasons than their older brother does."

The Doctor smiled in relief. "Yes, ma'am."

Michelle walked away. Lewis whistled loudly to get the room's attention, "Alright boys! Let's do this."

They all moved into the conference room and took a seat. Jack came running in. As soon as he saw him, the Doctor fell over laughing hysterically. Jake turned around and saw him and started to laugh. "Had to take a minute to get cleaned up?"

Jack put his hands on his hips and smiled. "You guys just suck. I thought one of Sam's diapers had exploded all over me."

The Doctor asked him, "You couldn't smell that it was chocolate?"

"You know I can't smell like that. And I sure as hell don't plan to taste something if it might be shit." Jack told him.

The Doctor laughed hysterically and laid his head on Lewis' shoulder. Lewis laughed, "I really need you to fill me in on that later."

The Doctor wiped the tears from his eyes. "Oh, I will. Poor Jack just hasn't had any luck with chocolate."

Jack sat down next to Jake and flipped the Doctor the bird.

Lewis chuckled. "Oh, yes. That will be a great story."

The Doctor put his sonic screwdriver on the table and pressed a button. Lewis sat with his arms crossed watching him. "What? Looking for bugs?"

The Doctor picked it up and looked at it. "Yep. And we're all clear."

Lewis nodded his head. "Good idea." Lewis turned his head and stood up. "Alright. Let's get this started. First of all, does anyone not know why we are here?"

The room got quiet. Lewis continued. "Alright. Well, in the event of a kidnapping or other major event, there is to be a debriefing. This is not meant to be a so called, "ass chewing", but instead a look at ourselves to see what exactly happened. What we could have done differently. Discuss our current status, and where we go from here. Pete will be along shortly. He's up at the Space Dock. As you know, all traffic has been shut down."

The Doctor shook his head. "I don't know about that. What's that about?"

Lewis nodded his head. "Last night, fifteen Torchwood Agents popped into the Royal Presidential Palace. They were there for seventeen minutes before anyone reported they were there, and it was the men they had taken hostage. There was an agent who went into Watch Traffic Control, which is a small desk in the Space Traffic Control, and killed everyone on duty. That's how the unauthorized jumps went unreported for so long."

Jack shook his head. "It was savage. Just take my word for it. We aren't going to have to look at pictures are we?"

Lewis shook his head. "I don't see any benefit in that at this time."

Legate crossed his arms and swore in Quauhtin. "All of these men who had access to the watches were handpicked by Thomas. Isn't that right, Doc'?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yes."

Pete walked in with Aemilius and they both sat down at the other end of the table. Lewis saw them. "Pete, Aemilius. To catch you up, we are just covering the Watch and Space Traffic Control situation."

Pete nodded his head. "Thank you. There's been a new development concerning that. All of the agents authorized with a watch, have been recalled to have them turned in until we can figure out what the hell is going on. Aemilius and I just returned from tracking down Thomas at his flat. Someone had been there before us. It appeared…..brutal. I've called Harriet and given the entire situation to MI6. We're in way over our heads here gentlemen, and I don't care to admit it. I won't have anymore blood on my hands trying to handle this internally."

Several of the men swore under their breath.

Pete looked up at the Doctor, "Thank you for keeping Rose out of here. I do not want her in this building until this is sorted."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Agreed."

Lewis continued, "Alright. Having said that… I imagine we are to work with these men to get to the bottom of this."

Pete nodded, "Yes. But, help me sleep tonight. Until further notice, every soul in this room is a red, blooded human. Are we clear? Do not let any of these MI6 guys know where you are really from. I don't need something else to worry about."

Lewis nodded his head. "Agreed. Everyone clear on that?"

The room mumbled their agreement.

Lewis asked Pete, "Would you like to continue, or…?"

Pete looked at them, "Guys. I'm in a bit of shock at the moment. Just continue with the meeting and maybe I'll come to. Carry on."

Lewis nodded his head. "Right. Okay. The Doctor, Legate and Logan identified the man who was paid to bring them in last night. We're not sure whether he is still alive or not. We're currently tracking down his dental records to compare to the other suspects that were neutralized last night."

Pete held up his hand, "Wait. I didn't know about this. Who was it?"

The Doctor stated, "Hammer. Justin Hammer. Tony said he heard he needed cash for something he wants to bring to the Expo and show off. He wanted Malcolm's black hole, but I don't know what he's after now."

Pete pointed at the table, "I want to have a discussion with this Malcolm. We have to ensure that is not going to be an issue. Where the hell is he?"

The Doctor sighed, "I'll get Michelle to arrange something and I'll chat with him. You might send him into a panic, Pete. He's a nervous sort."

Pete nodded his head. "Alright."

Lewis added. "Varro is running a scan from the ship to see if he can locate Hammer. If he surfaces, we'll get a man on him."

Pete grumbled, "I'd like to get my hands on him."

Lewis sighed, "Which brings me to my next point. You all know that we now have a Rixalarian psychologist/ psychiatrist. Which is she, Pete?"

Pete shook his head. "I have no idea. But, new rules in place now demand that anyone who was part of a terrorist act has to go spend some time with her and chat."

The Doctor looked shocked, "What?"

Pete pointed at him. "You want to play rules with me, son! I'll play! I need a list of these damn protocols that shut everything down last night."

The Doctor looked over at Lewis and sighed, "Give him the list, Lewis."

Lewis continued, "All of you have been sent a list of the Protocol codes. As we saw from last night, these are merely a way to pointing a direction. Protocol One, returns everyone to the island in the Pacific. Protocol Two, returns everyone to the Doctor's ship. Protocol Three, returns everyone to the Tyler Mansion while Protocol Four will return everyone to the flat in London. Protocol Five has been reserved for the island home in the Atlantic. Study these codes and know them in your sleep if you don't already. When a protocol is called, all watch traffic and space traffic is ceased. All Quauhtin need to use the telepathic link to check in with me, while all Torchwood agents have to report in. Logan and Jack. You will report to Jake, the Doctor or myself. This is what lead us to discover something had went terribly wrong in certain places last night, which we will get into. Torchwood is working at minimum capacity today with all units except….who?"

The Doctor rubbed his beard. "Delta. They are in Brazil working a crash that was just found there. Looks weeks old."

Jake nodded his head. "I know the entire Delta Unit. Good lot. They were not involved in this."

Pete pointed, "MI6 has a lock out system, which I'm looking at getting here. They have one at the Pentagon at Langley, too. Completely secures the building and all movement is tracked from multiple locations at all times."

The Doctor nodded, "Yes. That's a tough system they have there. They never have a problem with that. The one at MI6, full of faults. In fact, I probably need to chat with them about that over there. I could prevent that from happening."

Pete nodded his head. "Right. That's what I need to know. This seems to have gotten worse than it was before. At least when it was Idles, we saw this stuff coming."

Legate spoke. "I seem to remember four men taken into custody, back after the explosion in New York. The Doctor couldn't put them to sleep with his telepathically."

The Doctor nodded, "They had a lead lined suit that prevented that. How would someone know about that? The truck we were taken in was also lead lined to keep us from calling for help."

Pete shook his head. "The CIA did experiments with persons who were telepathic back during the Cold War. It's highly classified, terrible stuff. I'll get Howie to send over the information on that."

Lewis asked, "So, maybe someone who worked with that?"

The Doctor shook his head. "That was a long time ago. Humans don't live that long. That couldn't be it."

Pete pointed at them, "That would normally rub me the wrong way, but in all honestly, I only trust my family, and the people sitting in this room at this moment. I do not want to deal with anyone from Earth. And I realize that sounds completely mad. I want a list of all non-Earth people and their species that works for Torchwood. I want you to look it over and see if there's anyone we need to be concerned with. Someone who might be working with these people."

Jake shook his head. "They've said all along that they wanted to get rid of the non-humans. Are you thinking it's an alien now?"

Lewis rubbed his chin. "Damn. Begin a war by having the species kill themselves out so you can invade the planet. I've heard of that. Doc'. Who did that? I know you know."

He shook his head, "It didn't happen in the other dimension. At least I don't think so. Let me have a think on that."

Lewis nodded his head. "Right. Okay, from the top of the events of last night, anyone feel free to stop me at anytime to interject anything."

"First, fifteen Torchwood Agents remove their GPS and pop into the Royal Palace. All of their GPS' were found in an office."

Jack asked, "Who's office?"

Pete sighed, "Rose's office. On her desk. Just like they are sending us a message or something."

Jack shook his head. "They couldn't have just pulled out their tooth and put it on the desk without something to deaden the area. I'll look into the dentist office here to see if anything is missing."

Pete nodded his head. "Good idea."

Lewis nodded, "We've discussed Space Traffic Control."

Logan shook his head. "We can't keep that closed down. It needs to come back online as soon as possible."

The Doctor looked at Logan. "Why do you think that, Logan? I agree with you, but I'm curious."

Logan shrugged his shoulders. "It's a major port. The longer it's closed, the more rumors will be circulated and they will only get more outlandish. The attack there could have been to prevent someone from docking there for a period of time, which will only make those species more cross. Plus, it makes us appear weak, disorganized and ill prepared for an attack."

The Doctor looked impressed. "Damn. Couldn't have said it better myself. I believe we should move Space Traffic Control back down inside of the Torchwood building until further notice. Jake, let's recall Delta unit. You trust these guys?"

Jake nodded his head. "Yes. That's my old unit that Mickey, Rose and I all served with."

Pete smiled, "The Wolf Unit-"

Jake smiled, "I don't think they still call themselves that."

Jack looked curiously, "Wolf Unit?"

Pete pointed at Jake. "It was their code names. Jake was Curly Wolf. Rose was Bad Wolf and Mickey was what?"

Jake smiled, "Big Bad Black Wolf."

The Doctor laughed under his breath. "I can see that."

Jake nodded, "I'll have them back in my office by this afternoon. What do you have on your mind?"

The Doctor looked down the table. "Pete. If Jake knows this group, and feels they can be trusted, then I trust his judgment. Let's talk to them about breaking that group apart to lead the other ones. That way they can possibility spot something off and we know they will report it to us."

Pete thought, "I like that idea. Lewis?"

Lewis nodded his head. "Makes sense. Keep two from Delta together in each one to work together. It will help to keep them focused, and in case one of them is hurt, the other can take over. Also, have them check in with you, Jake, daily at first about their unit. Keep that meeting classified. Their agents don't need to know they are a suspect until we get this sorted out."

Jake nodded his head. "Right. Watch use?"

Pete groaned. "I'm not comfortable with it at the moment. I would rather every agent turn them in until we can come up with a better situation. These fifteen people could have just as easily popped into my son's bedroom last night. The Doctor, Lewis and I will have a think on that and come up with something. I'm saying, put them in a box, and give them to Director Smith to keep up with until further notice."

Jake agreed, "Right. We can work with that."

Pete bit his lip, "That will get us back up and running. Who else is trained for Space Traffic Control?"

Summus sighed, "One of the Quauhtin could manage it until we could train someone to take over."

Lewis nodded his head. "That would work. Volunteers?"

Lance, Legate, and Summus raised their hands.

The Doctor pointed, "Lance. Take the first watch with that. Jake, find someone that Summus can train starting tomorrow. He's the best man we have with that. Legate, you are Lance's relief with Logan tonight. Show him how to do that. You lot call me if you need assistance with anything."

Legate nodded his head. "Certainly!"

Summus smiled, "It's good to get back to what I love. I'd be very happy to do that for you, Pete."

Pete smiled. "Thank you, Gentlemen. The men who were taken last night. I have questions that I need answered. The main one being, how did you just disappear out of the Palace? The watches where not working."

The men looked around and shook their heads.

Legate spoke. "We have no idea. We were drugged with something they injected us with."

Pete shook his head. "The Doctor's bracelet prevents him from that sort of thing."

The Doctor shook his head. "The personal protection field protects like an airbag in a car. It has to be something traveling at a high rate of speed such as a bullet, football or a fist."

Jack nodded his head. "That's right. Logan's medical scan showed traces of that venom…..what did you call it Doc'?"

The Doctor sighed, "Bee stings. Like those damn darts Rose and I were shot with months ago. They have put the medicine in a syringe."

Pete shook his head. "How would they know to do that?"

The Doctor spoke, "They might not. Granted, me surviving a shot to the head might have tipped them off. I'll chat with Tony and see who else has that technology, or knows about it. It could have simply been because it was quieter to use inside the Palace and we were closer to them."

Pete ran his hand through his hair. "All of them were ordered destroyed after that. Jake. You and Jack look into who handled that and who has the formula for it. If someone has been cooking that shit in this building, I want his ass."

Lewis leaned over and spoke to the Doctor in his head. _'Pete seems way more agitated than I really thought he would be.'_

The Doctor rubbed his beard. _'I agree. There's more going on in his mind than he's telling us.'_

 _'You can feel that?'_

The Doctor looked back at Lewis. _'I'm not Superman! He's sitting on the other side of the damn room!'_

They looked back and noticed the room staring at them.

The Doctor lifted his hand, "I apologize. Lewis and I were just wondering if the needle used had been found at the Palace?'

Pete shook his head. "No. MI6 is there now."

Logan asked, "The box truck we were put into, surely that has a registration or something that can be traced back to someone."

Pete shook his head, "Not when it's part of a crater, son. What the hell did you lot use to blow the hell out of the world there? We can't even tell which bits were the damn box truck."

Lewis cleared his throat. "That was a drone explosion that Stark flew in."

Pete sighed, "Well…..as far as the events at the State Dinner. I can't see that could have gone any better. No one knew anything happened, no civilians were hurt, press is clueless, Harriet is safe. Aside from our guys getting taken, I'm happy. I would have liked some bad guys to question, but they are usually tight lipped about this shit. I still insist on everyone attending telepathy with the psychiatrist or whatever she is. She is under my instructions not to release you back in to the field until she feels you are fit."

The Doctor looked at him, "Pete? Is that necessary? I am the Doctor- I could just clear myself."

Pete smiled at him and shook his head. "Don't start that shit with me. You have to go. Director's orders, Director Smith."

Lewis turned and smiled at him. _'It will be good for you.'_

 _'I think he's serious about that shit. Really?'_

Lewis smiled, _'Oh yes. Please let me be there when you tell Rose. We're putting bets on how long she will laugh. Damn. I wish Jake and Logan were telepathic. There is a lot of money being chatted about in this room at the moment. I've already won two bets, myself.'_

The Doctor looked back at Lewis and smiled. _'I know. You lot bet on everything. I'm out $800 already.'_

Pete looked around the room. "I've read everyone's reports. Logan, I'm impressed. Next time, well, hopefully there won't be a next time, but wait for the cavalry before you attack."

Logan nodded his head, "Noted, Director."

Pete looked around the room. "Where the hell is Stark?"

Lewis smiled and looked at the Doctor, _'Just won another one.'_

The Doctor looked back at Lewis. "Ugh. You needed him for this, Pete?"

Lewis shook his head. "I think he was with Pepper today."

The Doctor nodded, "Yeah, something about a date or something. I'm not sure."

Pete ran his hand through his hair. "Well, for future reference…anyone that was present during an event like this, needs to be debriefed within 24 hours."

Lewis asked the Doctor. _'Genie wants her picture taken with Goofy again? Is that what Varro is saying?'_

The Doctor smiled, _'That doesn't surprise me. I wonder if she'll make Tony dance with Goofy like she did me.'_

Pete looked at the room and rubbed his hands together. "I'll speak individually to anyone I feel like I need to, I'll re-read all of the reports today and see if something pops out at me. Does anyone have anything to add?"

The Doctor nodded, "I do. Can I get my hands on those lead lined suits they used in the attacks? I want to try something."

Pete nodded his head. "Call down to storage or evidence. One or the other has it. That reminds me. I want all of the Quauhtin watches, upgraded to bracelets like yours. I want them all to have personal protection like you have on your bracelet. Talk to Stark and tell him to do that. How hard is that to remove?"

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders, "It's made of the same metal his suit is, so you can't cut it off. It has to be voice activated by the user."

Pete nodded, "Talk to him. I want bracelets on all of these Quauhtin, Rose, Jake, Jack and Logan. Especially Rose, Jake, Jake and Logan. They can't phase."

Legate smiled at Logan, "Nobody's perfect."

Logan laughed under his breath.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Rose already has one."

"Personal shielding?" Pete asked.

The Doctor nodded, "Yep."

Pete crossed his arms, "Good. I can sleep better then. Alright. If anyone thinks of anything, I'll be around for the game later today. I just want to remind you all that this is classified. Rose has clearance, but has been through enough. I do _not_ want her to be told, or have this discussed around her. Understood?"

The room all grunted their understanding. Except for the Doctor who sat back and crossed his arms.

Pete stood up, "Alright. Dismissed. Go move a house, or whatever the hell you are doing. Jake, I need you for a moment."

The Doctor rubbed his finger against his lips as he watched the men file out of the room.

Logan turned to Legate. "Let's go take my mum for a late lunch. I'd like her to meet you."

Legate smiled, "I'd be happy to! Doc'?"

The Doctor waved his hand. "Yeah, go ahead. I'm not finished here. Tell Michelle that I'll catch her up later on some stuff I need."

Logan smiled, "I'll do that. Cheers."

Lewis stood up to walk out of the room. The Doctor reached up and grabbed his arm, "Sit down Lewis."

Lewis looked confused, but sat back down. "What? What are you on about?"

He turned and looked at him, "I'm done with this. We're going to talk to Director Tyler before I move from this seat."

Lewis nodded his head. "Alright. Pissed. I can sense that, and I'm not even empathic. Should I be pissed, too?"

The Doctor shook his head and watched Pete give Jake and Jack some instructions. "No. This is all me. But, you are going to hear this, too."

Lewis blew air between his lips and sighed, "Alright. Whatever you think."

Pete patted Jake on the back. Jake turned around and pointed across the room to the Doctor. "I'll bring those watches this afternoon. Have a count for me so we ensure we have them all."

The Doctor nodded, "73. I'm certain. Delta's will have to be activated so they can return-"

Jake nodded, "I've got that code. I'll handle it. All of the other ones have already been turned in. See you, tonight."

Jake walked out of the room with Jack.

Pete glanced up and saw the Doctor and Lewis sitting at the table, staring at him. "Is there something else, guys?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "I'm sure there is. We need to chat."

Pete rolled his eyes, "Stop haranguing me about going to the damn psychiatrist, son. It's not a punishment."

"No, Pete. That's not it. I thought you had stopped keeping shit from me. Are you ready to tell me everything yet, or am I going to go around you to get the information I need?"

Pete bit his lip and looked seriously at him. He sighed, "Damn."

Pete then looked at Lewis. "Lewis. You don't want to hear this."

The Doctor looked at Lewis. "Either you tell him now, or I tell him later. What the hell else has Rose been through that you aren't telling me? Both of you."

Lewis held up his hands, "Mate. I've told you everything I know."

The Doctor snapped his head back at Pete and became angry. He pointed at the door. "Does Summus know? What the hell else is there?! Why haven't I been told this?"

Pete held up his hands in an effort of calm the Doctor down. "Summus doesn't know. No one does. I wanted her to tell you when she was ready."

Lewis looked surprised, "What?"

The Doctor was furious. He stood up and put his hands in his pockets. He rocked on his feet as he glared at Pete. "Damn it, Pete! I'm trying to remain calm here. You need to come out with all of it. Everything you damn know."

Pete rubbed his face and shook his head. "I've thought about it all night. It might have something to do with this. I can't rule anything out anymore. Come, have a drink. We'll have that talk."

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm not drinking."

Pete turned around and looked at him. "Son, I'm going to only tell you this once. You do not want to hear this, even in an altered state of mind. Think about this before you make demands of me."

The Doctor crossed his arms. "I'm not demanding. I'm simply asking. Pete, what are you not telling me?"

Pete sighed and put his hands on his hips, "A lot, son. And you are probably right. It's time I came completely clean with you. Lewis, you can opt out of this information."

Lewis looked at the Doctor. After a second to consider, he shook his head, "If it could possibility help, I need to know."

Pete shook his head as he walked out of the room. "Jesus. This has been the worst day."

XxxxXxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx


	51. Chapter 51 - Time In-between

Trigger warning: Rape, torture

XxxxXxxxXxxxxXxxxxXxxxx

Chapter 51 - Time In-between

Arla sat on the sofa in the island's sitting room feeding Sam. She smiled down at him as she sang something to him in German.

Rose walked in the room and looked around. "I think that's it. Let me go help you gather your plants."

Arla smiled down at Sam, "I've already given them to Timon. He just popped back. I also got a change of clothing for Lewis and Doctor Smith. I'm sure they will both be ready to get out of their suits once they return to the ship."

Rose smiled, "Thank you, Arla. I didn't think about that. Well. Want a cuppa before we go up to the ship?"

Arla smiled, "That would be very nice, Miss Rose. Thank you."

Bassanio and Ashena walked into the kitchen.

Ashena smiled proudly, "We have all of the clothing washed and folded. Bassanio was a huge help. I've never done that before."

Rose smiled at Ashena. "Thank you, both. You lot didn't have to do that."

Bassanio shook his head. "It was needed. It wasn't a big deal at all."

Ashena smiled, "It was only Sam's clothes. They are so tiny and adorable. I was reminded of my childhood when I would fold my dolls' clothing."

Rose smiled as she made tea. "Sam is a little guy. Was that blue blanket in there?"

Bassanio nodded, "Yes. The soft one? Do you need it?"

Rose shook her head, "No. That one seems to be his favorite. It will be nice to have two. Let's leave it here. Do you want tea?"

Ashena nodded. "Yes. Let me help you." She pulled out some more glasses from the cupboard.

Bassanio shook his head. "No, thank you."

Rose suddenly heard the Doctor's voice in her head.

 _'Hey, sweetheart. How is it going there?'_ he asked.

Rose smiled, _'Everything is alright. I'm so happy to hear your voice. I need to ask-"_

The Doctor suddenly appeared in the kitchen. "You need what, my dear?"

Rose laughed as she stopped making tea and looked at him. "You popped back just because I said I needed something?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Well, yeah. You needed something. I'm here. See how this works?"

Ashena laughed, "He's like a Quauhtin."

The Doctor smiled, "He is a Quauhtin."

Ashena giggled, "Oh, that's right. I apologize."

The Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Ah. I'm Rose's husband, first. What do you need?"

Rose rolled her eyes and went back to making tea. "I needed to ask if those flowers in the main entryway needed to be taken to the ship."

He walked over to her and rubbed his beard. "Ummm… Yes. They are living, even if they are cut. Bassanio?"

Bassanio was already walking to out of the room. "I'll take them up there."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Right. Cheers."

Ashena picked up her cup of tea and Arla's and walked out of the kitchen. The Doctor looked at Rose. "I haven't thought about that. We need to get Ashena's papers and such. Have her start looking at Universities she might want to attend."

Rose smiled as she handed him a cup of tea. "I'm on it already. I've made a few phone calls and we're going to start visiting places in the next few days. Jake is handling her paperwork this afternoon. I'm having her order some clothes, too. We have a lot going on here to keep us busy."

He sipped his tea as leaned on the cabinet next to where she stood. Rose grabbed his free hand in hers. "Are you alright? You are so shielded, I can't even tell you are standing in front of me right now."

He sighed, "I'm sorry. It's just a…. bad day. I'm happy you needed me for something."

She smiled at him. "I always need you for something."

He smiled at her.

"How is our daughter? I miss her. She's always so helpful." Rose asked.

"She's very happy. I'm not sure what is going on, but she feels….. nervous and important. No wait. That's ummm…. relief. Huh. I'll ask Varro what's going on."

Rose rolled her eyes. "How many conversations are you part of at the moment?"

"This one is the most important, don't worry about that." He told her.

She smiled, "I never do."

He sat down his tea, "Rose, you feel….tired. You need to try to get some sleep today."

Rose groaned and sat down her tea. "I'm fine."

He shook his head. "You really haven't slept that much. You aren't having nightmares that I've seen. Are you alright?"

Rose patted his chest. "I'm alright. I just ….. " She looked over at Arla and Ashena sitting on the sofa in the other room. He looked over at them with her.

 _'They are busy with the baby. Talk to me. Can I help?'_ he asked her in her head.

Rose shook her head. "I'm fine."

He pointed at her. "You're fine. Alright. Just so you know, I'm not convinced. Okay, about Genie, they have her and Tony talking to a group of people at a show. They just asked her if she knew what sort of animal Mickey was. She told them he is a mouse, which is a mus musculus in Latin."

Rose laughed proudly, _"_ Why are you teaching these children Latin? It is a dead language."

"Listen here, Head Master. Latin is the root of most languages in the universe. Trust me, I know what I'm doing with this."

"Of course I trust you." Rose smiled, "Alright. A bad day? Is Dad really cross?"

"Ah, not really. It's just a bad day. I was keeping myself shielded because I didn't want you to worry if you feel me get angry or whatever. We're all safe there. Pete hasn't even been as pissed at me as I thought he would be."

Rose laughed as she sipped her tea. "That's good news. Was he with you?"

"Yes. In fact, he's insisting I have a drink with him and Lewis. I've promised you I wouldn't, so I won't."

"Alright, hang on. I have asked you to take a break, not demanded you stop."

"Yes, dear…but that was only a few days ago."

"You needed to recover from drinking so much. How is your liver?"

"Well, I have two. And both are fine. Fully recovered. Brain working fine."

"Then I'm saying you are off the hook with me. I'm going to leave this up to you. But, I don't want you in the tank again. This drinking from dawn to ….. well dawn is done. Are we clear?"

He smiled, "Crystal, my dear."

"And you have to remember to eat. I don't want you sick, you gave me such a fright."

He ran his hand through his hair, "I know I did. Sweetheart, I'm sorry."

"You are an adult-"

"Ugh. Nothing good follows these words." He groaned.

She smiled, "I'm not going to say it, then. Be responsible. I'll see you this afternoon. I had already talked to Michelle and she's getting us a bottle of champagne to celebrate."

She saw a large smile spread across his face, "What are we celebrating?"

"One of two things. Either that you lot have successful copied a house, or that we have a place to sleep on the ship. Either way. I'm having a drink tonight with you. So, pace yourself." Rose teased him.

He chuckled as he nodded his head. "Good deal. Okay, this day has suddenly gotten a lot better." He turned around and poured out his tea and washed his glass. "Ugh. I have to get back. Pete, Lewis and I have a meeting. I already know I don't want to hear anything said in it."

Rose leaned against the cabinet. "Oh, you might be surprised."

He continued to stand in front of her and look at her. Rose teased him. "What? Stalling on going back?"

He rubbed his beard. "I need you to take your medicine."

Rose smiled, "Well, you remember the deal with that."

He looked over into the sitting room at Arla and Ashena. "Umm…"

Rose looked over at them. "They are busy with the baby. Don't worry about them."

He chuckled. "Right. Alright." He reached in his pocket and pulled out the injector. He gave her the injection, then put it back in his pocket.

Rose smiled at him as he looked back at her. "Alright. How do you feel?"

Rose giggled, "You can tell how I feel. Come here."

He bit his lip and unbuttoned his jacket. "Alright. Let's do this!" He threw his hands out forcefully right before he gently cupped her cheeks.

Rose couldn't help herself and giggled at him. "You are so dramatic about everything." She held him around his waist as he leaned in and kissed her gently. Then he slowly ran his tongue around her lips, until she opened her mouth and his tongue caressed hers.

 _'This could be the best medicine you have ever mixed,'_ Rose teased him as he continued to snog her.

 _'I want to go out with you tonight. Would you like to do that?'_ he asked her.

Rose sucked his bottom lip as she felt him move his hands to her bum, _'Yes.'_

He stopped snogging her and smiled, "Yes?"

She smiled at him. "Yes. I would love to."

He kissed her quickly, "Get some rest today. We will probably be up late."

Rose teased him, "I hope we are."

He closed his eyes tightly as he mumbled, "Damn, I miss my TARDIS. I could just pop there now. Deal with this damn meeting in a few weeks. Damn."

Rose giggled, "Get back to Dad. Tonight will be here before you know it."

He ran both of his hands through his hair. "Alright. Ugh." He pointed at Rose. "Sending a man off like this. You are a mean woman."

He popped away as Rose laughed.

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxx

The Doctor popped back into his office. He pointed at his glass and nodded at Pete as he sat down. "Alright, pour me a glass. Rose has let me off the hook."

Pete poured him a drink. They were all sitting the Doctor's office. Lewis and the Doctor sipped the Damn Whiskey as they sat on the sofa together. Pete sat across from them on the other sofa. He sat back and rubbed his hand across his head. He asked, "She's alright?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yes. She's asked Michelle to get us a bottle of champagne to celebrate copying the house tonight."

Pete smiled as he nodded his head. "That's just mad. I might come over early to see that."

The Doctor smiled, "Fly in Legate's ship with me. You will be able to see it form. Bring Tony and Jacob. They would love that."

Pete looked impressed. "That's a swell idea. Alright. Count us in."

The Doctor suddenly remembered, "Well, hang on, Lewis. We're on duty. We're not supposed to be drinking."

Lewis waved his hand as he poured himself another drink. "That was Summus' rule. I'm in charge now. I say protecting this family comes with a two-drink minimum."

The Doctor laughed under his breath. "I can accept that."

Lewis sat down his drink. "Alright, what is this about, Pete?"

Pete sighed and drank his glass. He stood up and pointed at it. "Fill it up for me, Lewis."

Lewis poured Pete another drink as he walked over to the Van Gogh painting behind the Doctor's desk. He flipped a switch on the side and it slid, revealing a safe built into the wall. "These files were put in your safe when you two married. I apologize for never telling you it was here, I had hoped Rose would have told you everything first. The combination is Rose's birthday, followed by Genie's." He said as he typed in the numbers.

The safe sprang open and Pete pulled out a large stack of files. The Doctor jumped up to go help him carry them. Pete told him quickly, "Nah, I've got them. It's a lot, but it's not everything. I'll start, then you can read these."

Pete sat the files down on the table between the sofas and took another drink. "You two are going to want to keep the glasses full. Particularly you, son."

The Doctor sat back down next to Lewis. "Alright."

Pete took another sip and pointed at the stack. "These are not to leave this office. Keep them in the safe, or give them to me if you decide you don't want them any longer. I'll understand. Rose believes they were destroyed."

Lewis looked at the huge stack. "What are they?"

Pete sat back and took a deep breath. "Reports. Things that happened before the Quauhtin were assigned to the family's protection. Assignments where odd things happened, like people evaporating into thin air. Accident reports. Then the reports she gave me after each jump she made when she was looking for you." He pointed at the Doctor.

The Doctor raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really?"

Pete nodded his head. "Everything is there. I'm going to warn you, you do not want to read these. And you do not want to hear what I'm going to say."

The Doctor looked at Lewis, then back at Pete. "Pete, Rose is my wife. My other half. I've made a promise. I remember the words, 'for better or worse', so start talking."

Pete nodded his head. "Alright. Before you get into these, we should start with the day after she arrived here. She was furious with me, and Jacks, for forcing her to come. She was completely devastated over losing you. Losing that world. Jacks tried to explain to her that you had also insisted she come with us, but she was livid. She wouldn't listen to anyone. Mickey seemed to be able to talk to her. He got her to understand that she would have been in the void had I not returned when I did to catch her. After a few days, she seemed to warm up to it a bit here. Mickey was amazing. I really don't think she would have come around so soon had he not been here for her to talk to. Show her a few things that he liked about it. Restaurants. Mickey's Grand was still living then."

"What did they talk about?" Lewis asked.

"The other Dimension, things they did when they were children, Mickey's job. And of course, traveling with you. He was already working at Torchwood and had been for a while. He had really made a place for himself. Hell of an agent. One of the best I ever had. Incredibly brave individual."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Right. So far this isn't sounding bad."

Pete sipped his drink, "It wasn't then. Rose was still cross with me and Jackie. It was a strange thing to have her here. Another man's daughter, but also my own. Very strange. Jacks told me to be patient with her and asked me to be there for her if she needed me. I still felt like the unwelcomed, new boyfriend, though. And then we found out Jacks was pregnant. Rose seemed to accept me a bit more after that. We started having long chats and found that we had a lot of similar interests. She's so much like me. We found that we could chat about almost anything. She would tell me about places and things she had seen when she was with you. She would help me with my mad ideas I would try to get to work out in the shed. We started to bond. It seemed like it might work."

"Then we went to Bad Wolf Bay. Then you said, 'Good-bye.' That was….. hard for her. She grieved more than she had before. She said that she had felt you were coming to get her until she spoke to you that day. She never told me what you two said, but I don't need to know."

The Doctor sipped his drink. "She told me that she was back working at the shop. That Jackie was pregnant, and well, a few other things."

Pete shook his head. "She never went back to work in a shop. She talked about doing that, but I wouldn't allow it. I didn't think she would be safe, and after getting to know her, I knew I wanted her at Torchwood with me. She was extremely clever and would be useful."

Lewis was beginning to put it together. "And that's why you blame yourself."

Pete nodded his head. "She came to work at Torchwood. She had been here for just a few months. Everyone noticed when she arrived. Hell, how could you not? That blond hair? The long lost daughter the media had splashed on the cover of every paper and telly? She went to work with Tosh and Malcolm. Malcolm had been the head of the Dimension Jump program that got us back. So, it only made sense."

"Tosh gave her some books to read, and tutored her a bit. And that went on for a while. Her determination became almost an obsession. Then there was that day. Mickey came into my office. He had gone to get Rose for dinner from the lab. He had been in a hell of a fight. He had walked in on three men attacking her."

Lewis asked, "When you say attacking-"

Pete nodded his head. "Yes. And after many talks with her, it hadn't been the first time it had happened. In that same lab. No one was down there that time of day. It was foolish for her to be down there on her own. Malcolm or Tosh had only just left for a moment and were delayed. They had it all planned out. Guards didn't even patrol it back then."

Lewis poured the Doctor another drink. "That's when Mickey had the meeting with Summus. We became the guards of the Tyler family after that. I remember how he looked. He had the hell beat out of him."

The Doctor found his voice. "What happened to the attackers?"

Pete looked at them. "I did what any other father probably would have done in my position, and I'm not proud of it. I sent them all on an assignment that I knew they would never return from."

Pete continued, "Things became worse after that. She recovered at the mansion, and Mickey seemed completely distraught he hadn't seen this coming. I sent him to see Melissa and it seemed to help. He was determined to be Rose's protector because he saw that he had failed her. He didn't realize it was my own failure to protect her. My own stupidity to put her in such a position."

"Jacks was away, I don't remember where. A charity thing with Harriet. Rose had been in her room for days. I would go and try to talk to her, but she was so hurt that she wouldn't say anything. I told Jacks it was because she was homesick for the other Dimension, and you. I went to talk to her and found her in the tub, full of blood. She had tried to off herself, but had healed before she was able to bleed completely out."

"I took her out of the bathtub and performed CPR on her. She scared the hell out of me. I was sure I had lost her. Just as I was about to call for help, she woke up and realized what had happened."

"I'm surprised she didn't hit you." Lewis told him.

Pete shook his head, "Thankfully, that thought had never entered her head. I had covered her with a towel I found nearby, so when she regained consciousness, she was covered. Jacks had told her stories about me her entire life and she knew I would have never done anything. It was a truly a turning point for our relationship, though. She confided in me that it wasn't the first time she had tried to kill herself while she had been here. She didn't understand why she couldn't. Neither did I at the time, so I put a doctor that I trusted on the case."

The Doctor filled in. "Owen."

Pete pointed at him. "Right. Melissa also started to come to the house and we met together with her. I heard every detail of the attacks during those sessions and it only made me realize that I had made the right decision to have them off'ed."

"Tony was a few months old by then. Bigger than Sam is now, but still an infant. Jacks thought I was simply up with him all night. And I suppose I was. But, I was in Rose's suite. We would sit on the sofa up there together and I would hold her hand for hours. Tony in one arm, and her hand in mine. We would talk or watch telly. She would sometimes fall asleep with her head on my shoulder, or her feet in my lap. She wouldn't sleep without me there with her. I learned to sleep in a suit, sitting upright for months, with my son in my arms. My little girl needed me."

"I had become a father twice in less than a year. And my eldest child seemed to need me more than my infant did. Harriet, who thought she was homesick, came to invite her to go to Howie's. Harriet was extremely forceful in her approach. She told her to pull herself together. She was British, and she was made of stronger stuff than she even knew. Wow. If Harriet only knew. I think she probably saved my little girl's life, and I can never tell her why. They left for Howie's and I caught them up a few days later. When I got there, Rose was a completely different person. She told me she felt like she was alive again, and was ready to recalm her life, whatever it would end up to be."

"She returned to Torchwood, and Mickey, Summus and Jake trained her in hand to hand combat, marksmanship, first aid, everything. She quickly became one of best agents I had. She became extremely serious. Forceful. Professional. Grew up thirty years overnight it seemed. I knew it was a mask to hide the pain she was still in. The reports I would get from the field showed her taking completely unnecessary risks and I'm certain that anyone else would have not have lived through what she did. For months, I had an accident report on my desk with her name on it. I tried to talk her out of being a field agent, and she finally accepted my offer to become a trainer of new recruits after she was kidnapped for a ransom."

The Doctor added, "That's when she killed her capturers."

Pete nodded, "You probably already know the rest. She did end back up in the field from time to time, but I had her office and labs moved out of the basements. She insisted on the same room there at the top where she had arrived. I had no idea at the time, but it was because she had decided that she was going back home. The gate was there, and she determined to open it. Then, she really started studying. I mean, she studied before, but nothing like she did then. You never saw her without a book. Never. Anytime I heard of a speaker anywhere about anything dealing with physics, I sent her. You went to several of those, Lewis."

Lewis nodded his head. "Yes. And the class she took briefly at Cal Tech."

Pete nodded, "She was only there a few weeks. Her knowledge was already far past what the professors was by then. She returned to Torchwood and began working to jump between Dimensions. Then, she was hit by the car right as she was almost ready to make her first jump. I tried desperately to talk her out of it. I knew that I would lose her for sure."

The Doctor said, "But it was successful."

Pete smiled proudly, "It was brilliant. She returned on point, exactly when she had planned she would. The jump would only last for 48 hours. She seemed to enjoy exploring the other Dimensions. Different times. It sounded rather exciting as I read her reports. Some were brilliant, and then others were ….. horrendous. There was one incident where she taken captive. They cut her skin off her arms, chest and legs over and over again just to watch it regrow. After I read that report, I asked her not to write anymore reports for me. I wasn't strong enough to allow her to continue this if I really knew what she was dealing with. She could tell me anything, but I felt that there was something about putting it down on paper that just made it worse for her to have to relive it. She had to see Melissa and I sat in on every meeting she had with her. I knew everything that happened, and believe me, some of the jumps only got worse. Melissa took over writing the reports at that point and they are there. I've never read any of those."

"Tony had started to get older, and she was so cheerful when she was around him. Telling him stories of you. Of your adventures you had been on with her. It seemed to keep her focused. Mickey was relentless and continued to try to get her to date him. Marry him. Get on with her life. He begged me to help him, and I refused. That was up to her, and I knew she wasn't interested and it wasn't even for the right reasons that he was interested. At least, that's the way I saw it. He thought if he married her, he would be able to get her to stop. Settle down. Have a family. It seemed very controlling to me and I spoke to Rose about that. She is her own, capable, brilliant person. She was old enough to make these decisions for herself, and I didn't want anyone telling her to give up on her dreams because it made them uncomfortable. Rose finally had enough of Mickey and decided to move out. She got her own place. Pissed Jacks off, but Rose wanted her own space. After that, I found out that she had been meeting with Melissa far more than I even knew."

"How often?" the Doctor asked.

Lewis spoke. "At least twice a week, but often more. None of the Guard ever sat in on any meeting."

"Jake began to suspect that Rose could sense the Quauhtin, and that's why she was meeting with Melissa so much. To get some privacy. Even then, they were in the shadows at her home. Keeping her safe."

Lewis nodded his head. "Yes. We had several incidents there. But, I've told you all about those."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yes. Now, this makes a lot more sense. I've heard people talk about how miserable she was without me. I knew it couldn't have been just me."

Pete shook his head. "It might not have been 100% the reason, but was a large damn part. And, I've seen how you are without her. I know you love her and would do anything for her. I know you have things you don't tell her that you don't feel you can talk about. Trust me, Rose and I chat a lot, but she doesn't tell me those things."

The Doctor looked at Lewis and then back at Pete. "She told you about Susan."

Pete nodded his head. "She has told me you first came here in the '60s with your granddaughter. She's never told me why, and I don't need to know. That's your business. She's told me you have a severe allergy to aspirin and some herb makes you sneeze really badly. Jack cooked something in your flat that prevented you from breathing in it for a while."

"Rosemary." The Doctor added.

"Yes. That's it. Hell, that makes me sneeze, too. She has also told me that your ship was older than you are, which I still think she was barking about that."

"No, that is completely true."

Pete rubbed his hands together and continued this story. "So, Rose realized that if she managed to find you in the middle of a jump, there wasn't anyway she could prevent the return. She came to me and we discussed it. She developed a signal on the gun she carried. Malcolm and Tosh agreed that if the signal was ever broadcast, they were to abort the return. She was to remain on the other side."

The Doctor filled in, "And that's when she found me."

"Yes. Three jumps later, the signal was pressed. Tosh and Malcolm couldn't bring themselves to do it, so they called me to the office. Rose had made me swear that I would honor her wishes. She was an adult after all, and there wasn't anything I could do. I aborted the return. I told Mickey when I returned home and he was furious. He became completely enraged. Jackie heard us arguing and came downstairs. I had to tell her. Rose had given me a letter to give to Jacks in the event this happened. I never read it and have no idea what it said to this day. All I know is that Jacks read the letter, hit me, took Mickey and left. Two days later, I was sending a Zeppelin to Norway to pick up the three of you."

"Jackie doesn't know about the rest of this?" Lewis asked.

Pete shook his head. "No. No one does. And I have no idea if it has anything to do with anything. But, you are right. It was time you were told the full story. At least as much as I know. Melissa giving Genie to Rose surprised the hell out of everyone, but me. Melissa worked all of the time and even though they were not really friends, they probably spent more time together than anyone. That probably sounds odd, doesn't it?"

The Doctor shook his head and replied, "No. It doesn't. Melissa knew what Rose had been through. Rose would protect her daughter from that same pain. Damn. This really clears up a lot of questions I've had for months."

Pete nodded his head. "I'm truly sorry. I should have told you everything. Both of you. There were several times I thought I would, and I couldn't bring myself to do it. I kept telling myself that she's so happy now and there's no reason to bring it back up. But, the past has a funny way of showing its face in the oddest ways."

Lewis nodded his head. "Very true."

The Doctor sat back in shock over what he had just heard. "Pete. I…."

Pete waved his hand. "You don't have to say anything to me about this, son. But, know that I'm here for you, if you need me. You just continue to be there for my daughter. She's happier than I've ever dreamed she could be."

The Doctor bit his lip and nodded as he rubbed his hands together.

Pete stood up, "I'm going to pop over to Washington and check on our favorite cowboy. Then, I need to go get Tony and Jacob. I'm taking them to the Arsenal pitch tonight to warm up with the team. Tony is the honorary coach, and he doesn't have any idea yet."

Lewis and the Doctor smiled. Lewis stood up and shook Pete's hand. "He will love that. Make sure you get a few pictures."

The Doctor stood up and shook Pete's hand, "Yes. Tell Howie to behave himself. I've been in touch with Dr. Smith over there and they want to keep him only one more night for observation. I'll come see him this afternoon."

Pete nodded his head. "Good. I'll let him know. Gentleman, don't try to read all of these at once. In fact, I'd recommend that you put some to the side that you should never read. It's a lot to take in at once."

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	52. Chapter 52 - A New Plan

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Chapter 52 - A New Plan

Lewis and the Doctor sat on the sofas looking over the reports that Pete had left them with. They had both taken off their jackets and rolled up their sleeves. Lewis sat across from the Doctor who was wearing his glasses as he read over the files. Lewis' tattoo peaked out from beneath his sleeve and collar, as it often did when his tie hung loose. They had been busy at it for just over an hour.

Lewis closed a file he had been reading and tossed it back on the table with the others. He rubbed his face and sighed, "This is worse than anything I could even imagine."

The Doctor was looking over a file in stunned silence. He rubbed his finger across his lips as he read. Lewis watched him for a few moments. The Doctor narrowed his eyes and re-read a paragraph again. "No, that can't even happen. That doesn't make any sense." He mumbled.

Lewis had reached his limit. He took the report the Doctor was reading away from him and closed it. "Alright. I'm saying that is enough."

The Doctor tossed up his hands. "What the hell, Lewis?"

Lewis pointed at him forcefully. "I can't take anymore, and this isn't even my wife! You have to be close to your limit. My priority is to protect the family. Even from themselves. I'm not going to allow you to read anymore of these today. Not for a while. Maybe not ever."

To Lewis' surprise he didn't protest at all. He instead leaned back on the sofa, tossed his glasses on the table with the files, and rubbed his face. "Thank you, Lewis."

Lewis stood up and paced for a few moments. "Are all of these even true?"

The Doctor looked up at Lewis with his hand over his mouth. "Please don't make me answer that."

Lewis nodded, "Right, sorry."

"Lying on a report is a criminal offense." The Doctor sighed as he leaned up and put his elbows on his knees. He looked like he might be sick at any moment.

Lewis looked at him. "Are you alright?"

After a few moments, he looked up at him. The Doctor shook his head and whispered, "No."

Lewis put his hands on his hips and sighed, "Man. I don't even know what to say. I….."

He shook his head. "I know. Thank you for doing this with me."

Lewis shrugged his shoulders. "You would do it for me. My Primus partner. We'll get through this, too."

There was a knock at the office door. Lewis turned around and looked at the Doctor. "You're good?"

The Doctor called, "Come in!"

Legate and Logan walked in carrying a paper bag. Legate smiled at them. "Hey! We saw that you guys got pulled into another meeting with Pete, so we brought you back some lunch. Burgers. Just the way you both like them. These chips are excellent!"

Lewis' face lit up as he took the bag and sat it on the Doctor's desk. "That was thoughtful. Thanks, guys!"

The Doctor stood up and walked over to them, "Cheers."

Legate pointed at the Doctor. "What's with you? Pete box your ears?"

The Doctor smiled and shook his head. "Nah. Just some stuff on my mind with this…..mess."

Logan nodded his head in sympathy. "My mum returned if you need her for anything. She asked me to tell you. She's just out there, in her office."

"Right. Thanks." He said as he walked over to the small bar. "Guys. A water? A beer? What?"

Lewis called back to him. "A soda if you have one."

The Doctor nodded, "Hell, that does sound good."

Logan shook his head. "Thanks, but we just are returning from lunch. We're fine."

Legate rubbed his hands together, "I also needed to ask. Primus One and Two-"

"Who's One?" The Doctor called from across the room.

Logan held his hands out, "Is that really a thing? I believe he is joking."

Lewis crossed his arms and looked seriously at Legate. "Primus One and Two. That's interesting. Which is which?"

Legate thought for a few seconds. Then smiled, "Depends on the day."

Lewis laughed as he unwrapped his hamburger and the Doctor walked over with their drinks. "Good answer, Legate. What is your question?"

Legate rubbed his hands together excitedly. "Right. Pete is taking the young boys to the Arsenal warm up. Aemillus is going with Pete. I would like to ask if I can go with the boys."

Lewis looked serious at them. "Polotius always has Tony Tyler. He's not going?"

Legate held his hands out. "He does. But, Jacob will be with him as well. Plus, I find it would be a good training opportunity for Logan. He is requesting to join the detail as well. These Arsenal guys, they are …. maybe a bit dodgy…. ummm… we're not sure…. I think we need to have an extra pair of eyes on them."

The Doctor looked at Lewis, "Don't eat the burger. It's coated in bribery."

Lewis chuckled, "That's fine. Have a good time. Remember why you are there, and don't lose yourselves."

Both Logan and Legate said, "Alright!" cheerfully in celebration. Then, quickly looked back at Lewis and the Doctor who were looking seriously at them. "Sorry." They both said as they looked embarrassed at the men.

Lewis laughed under his breath and rolled his eyes. "Get out of here, guys. We'll see you tonight."

Legate and Logan quickly moved towards the door. The Doctor called out, "Logan!"

Logan stopped and turned around, "Yes?"

"If anyone asks who you got in a fight with, tell them you were playing football with Lewis. He's tough."

Logan laughed, "I'll do that. Thanks!" He closed the door.

Lewis shook his head. "Playing football with me, huh? He looks more like he's been playing rugby."

The Doctor laughed under his breath and sat the hamburger back down. "This was nice of them, but I really just don't have any appetite."

Lewis nodded his head as he ate a few chips. "Understandable. At least eat a few chips. These are really nice."

The Doctor forced himself to eat some chips as Lewis spotted something on the coffee table. He carried his container of chips and walked over to have a closer look. "Hey. Are you making notes?"

The Doctor was surprised at his question. "What?" He walked over to where Lewis stood and looked down at the coffee table.

Lewis pointed out, "That's your handwriting."

The Doctor handed Lewis his chips and put back on his glasses. The files were stacked neatly on the table in three stacks, whereas they had been all piled up in a mess only moments before. The Doctor picked up one that had a sticky note on the front. In his handwriting it said, "Sorted." The one under it also had another sticky note on it in his handwriting that stated the same thing. He quickly looked through the entire stack, "Lewis. These all say they have been sorted."

Lewis looked curiously at him. "What? All of the reports?"

"No, just this stack."

He looked at the next stack, which was by far the largest. The file on the top said, "To be sorted…." He looked through the first few. They all had the same note in his handwriting.

Lewis pointed at the third stack. "These say, 'Do not open. FP'. We haven't been through them yet.

The Doctor shook his head. "We haven't been through the majority of these on the table."

Lewis shook his head. "How did you do that? All of these notes are in your handwriting. Am I wrong? That's yours, isn't it?"

The Doctor sighed, and put his glasses back in his pocket. "That's mine."

Lewis ate a chip and stared at him as he thought.

The Doctor looked at Lewis. "Where do you want to start?"

"When did you start traveling in time again?" Lewis asked as he narrowed his eyes at him.

He smiled and shook his head. "I've not been traveling in time. Rose has asked me not to. Not until Genie and Sam get older."

Lewis bit his lip. "You said you didn't have you ship that traveled in time here. Are you working on something you haven't told me about?"

The Doctor groaned, "Lewis. You can get a way to travel in time. Jack has a Vortex Manipulator on his-"

"Fuck you! You have been working on something! You wouldn't tell anyone if you had. Especially, Jack. That man is completely mad. You and Rose would have kept it secret! I bet it's hidden. Someplace you wouldn't let anyone go."

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "Lewis. You are impossible. These are not even points in time. Some of them are Dimension jumps."

Louis looked at the files, "Rose figured out how to do it before, she can do it again to help you! And she would! She's damn clever and the two of you together would be able to make a machine that would be able to travel in both time and dimensions. Tell me I'm wrong!"

The Doctor bit his lip as he stared at Lewis.

Lewis stared back at the Doctor's face. "You have a lousy Poker face."

The Doctor smiled, "I have a great Poker face. My Peducko face, needs work."

Lewis thought. "You wouldn't want it someplace you couldn't keep a close eye on it, even if you could pop away and take care of it."

The Doctor grabbed his container of chips back out of Lewis' hands and started to eat them. "Have you had these chips?"

Lewis was still consumed in his thoughts. Then he declared, "It's in the room with the DVDs. Behind the door in that room. I thought it was a cupboard. It's where you are keeping it."

The Doctor chuckled, "You are just too damn good at this, Lewis! It's scary. Get some help. This isn't normal behavior."

Lewis waved him off. "Don't tell me what's normal! You don't have time to work on something like that. How are you doing it? Unless, it's doing for itself. It's organic, you're growing it! DAMN IT! You said your other ship had to be grown. It's that damn plant you said you needed to get off of the island. Where do you have it now?"

The Doctor mumbled with his mouth full of chips. Lewis crossed his arms. "Jackass. You can speak in my damn head. Where the hell is it?"

The Doctor put another handful of chips in his mouth and shook his head. He spoke in Lewis' head, _'These chips are fantastic. Are you going to eat yours?'_

Lewis sat his chips down in the chair and crossed his arms. "John. We're mates. You know the oaths I've taken because you have taken them now, too. I won't say anything to anyone about it. Not in the Guard, not in the family. You've went through great lengths to keep this hidden, and I've stumbled upon it. I won't take it. I wouldn't know what to do with it anyway. It's obvious that it is a very powerful ship and you need help to ensure that it remains safe. Let me help you with that. You are keeping my secret about my twins. Let me keep your secret."

The Doctor shook his head, "Well, not really. I told Rose about that already. She's thrilled."

"Fuck! I don't care! Tell me I'm wrong, or tell me where it is!" Lewis demanded.

The Doctor nodded his head. "It's in my pocket. It's safe." He sat the chips down in the chair and walked over to the reports on the table and pointed at the files. "This. This is clearly me fixing where it went wrong. And I totally should. None of this should have happened. I never meant for this to happen."

Lewis shook his head. "No. That's not a good idea. You heard Pete. All of that happening gave her the determination to find you. If you erase that, she will never make it back to get you. Won't that cause….I don't know. I've heard it in those damn physics lectures….."

"A paradox?" The Doctor shook his head. "No. See, that's not how it works. These 'Sorted' and 'Needs to be Sorted' stacks, they are all points in time that you can change. This other stack, I marked 'FP', which means it's a fixed point and I can't change it."

"How the hell can you tell?" Lewis asked.

"It's a sense I have. Like breathing."

Lewis tried to put it together. "So, this ship? You're doing this now?"

The Doctor shook his head, "Oh, hell no. I'm years away from being able to take that ship anywhere. This is clearly me from the future, coming back now to show me what to do. I'll probably start finding other notes to myself. I used to do that often in the other Dimension."

Lewis shook his head, "I can't say I approve of this at all."

The Doctor opened one of the files from the 'Needs to be Sorted' stack. "Well, mate. I can tell you that you won't always feel that way. Isn't this your handwriting?"

The Doctor showed Lewis where a note had been made across the top of the report. It said, "Bring cards when you deal with this. You might win some money."

Lewis took the file from the Doctor's hands. "Hell. What sort of shit are you going to pull me into?"

The Doctor chuckled at his friend. "Something that will clearly help my wife. Damn, Lewis. I'm sorry about this. This is all my damn fault. I thought she was getting on with her life. She was with her family and was safe. I never would have dreamed she would have dealing with anything like this. She had her mum. Mickey. And her Dad back. Ugh. I'm a fool."

Lewis shook his head. "There is no way you could have known this would happen. I'm sure she doesn't blame you-"

"She doesn't. But, I blame myself. I've apologized so much she gets cross when she hears it. So, instead, I just am sure to tell her everyday, without fail, that I love her. I don't want her to ever think for a moment that I meant for any of this to happen. Don't misunderstand, we're very happy together and rarely disagree, but I know that one day she's going to get proper cross with me about something and this will cross her mind. I want her to be able to immediately stop that thought before what I've done cases her any more pain than it already has."

"I'm going to stop as much of this from happening as I can. As soon as my TARDIS is ready. Rose deserves so much better of a life than she's had. This." He pointed at the table. "This gives me hope. This. I can fix."

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	53. Chapter 53 - French

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Chapter 53 - French

Rose sat on the sofa onboard the _Asclepius_ inside her and the Doctor's suite. She had just finished feeding Sam a bottle and he had fallen asleep in her arms. Sam yawned as she smiled down at his sleeping face. She carried him into the bedroom and lay him down with him in the large bed. She stroked his cheek causing him to smile in his sleep. She whispered, "You are so handsome. Just like your Daddy. You look like him today."

Rose lay and watched Sam sleep and started to feel sleepy herself. She took a pillow and laid it behind Sam. Then thought for a moment. She took her pillow, and put it behind Sam. Then she took that pillow and snuggled into it. She whispered to Sam. "This is the pillow your Daddy uses. It smells like him."

Sam smiled again at her in his sleep. Rose closed her eyes and heard the door beep. She rolled her eyes and mumbled, "It never fails." She put her pillow in front of Sam to keep him from rolling off the bed and walked into the sitting room. She opened the door and saw Tony holding a nearly asleep Genie in his arms. Her head was lying on his shoulder. Rose quickly held her hands out, "Oh gosh! I'm sure you aren't supposed to be carrying her around-"

Varro stood behind him, "That's what I damn told him."

"Nah, John told me I could start lifting weights. I just don't think this is what he had in mind." Tony laughed as walked into the suite. "She's just gone to sleep, where should I put her down?"

Genie lifted her head to see where she had arrived. Rose rubbed her back and motioned for Tony to come in with her. She sat down on the sofa and Tony laid Genie in Rose's arms. Genie held her Goofy doll. Tony looked around and found a blanket lying on a chair. He spread it across Genie. Rose kissed her head as she rocked her back and forth. "Did you have a good time, Genie?"

Genie snuggled into her arms. "Yes." She said quietly as she went back to sleep.

Tony sat on the other end of the sofa and took off Genie's trainers. "Now, Gene. If that Goofy runs away, you just tell me. I'll find him and give him a stern talking to. You deserve a good Goofy, and I'll make sure you have one."

Genie smiled in her sleep, "Love you, Tony."

Tony patted her leg as he pulled the blanket back over her feet, "You too, Gene."

Rose's heart melted hearing the words. Tony turned around to see what Varro was doing. He pointed at him. "Good man! Making the British lady tea!"

Rose smiled as Varro walked around and sat down a cup of tea for each of them on the coffee table. He held the one he had made for himself. He asked Rose quietly, "The Doctor's not back?"

Rose shook her head. "Not yet. He said it was a bad day. He told me a bit ago that him and Lewis had to go see Howie, then they were going out for a drink someplace. But, he said I needed him, I only had to ask."

Tony looked surprised, "A drink? He's not supposed to be doing that."

Rose smiled, "I just wanted him to stop until he got well. He's fine now."

Tony bit his lip and nodded his head. "Alright. Cool. John's back on the sauce."

Rose shook her head. "But, I don't want him drinking as much as he was."

Tony nodded his head. "Yeah. The old man had a problem with that. It's not something you want to grow up in. He's teaching Gene, Latin? Why?"

Rose held his arm. "Okay, hang on. This sounds like John has a problem. He doesn't."

Tony shook his head. "I didn't say he did. I don't think he does. But, if you think he does."

Rose held her hands out. "He doesn't!"

Tony stopped and looked at her. "Right. That's what I'm saying."

Rose groaned as she ran her fingers through Genie's hair. She rose up and sipped her tea that Varro had made her. "Thank you, Varro."

Varro smiled as he sipped his tea, "I'm needed in the hanger. I put the bags just over there."

Rose looked back at Tony and then at Varro. "Bags?"

Varro smiled and bowed his head. "Yes, ma'am. We're all around so just yell if you need anything." He turned shake Tony's hand. "Thank you, sir. We had a great time."

Tony smiled, "Thanks, man." Varro walked out and the door closed.

Tony looked at Rose. "Bags. Yes. Genie did some shopping."

Rose smiled. "Shopping?"

Tony smiled proudly as he held Genie's foot, "She was a huge help. She assisted me in a coaster repair I needed to look at there, so I had to pay her. It was only right. Then, she kept smiling and being cute. They kept giving her stuff. It's all over there." He pointed at the dining table.

Rose smiled as she looked back down at Genie sleeping in her arms, "Sounds like she had a lot of fun."

Tony rubbed his beard. "Do you want some company for a bit? I can't stay long."

Rose sipped her tea. "That's alright with me. Don't you have a date with Pepper?"

"That's not for a little while. You seem to need someone to talk to. Besides, I've grown to like British tea since I was out here with you guys." He said as he sipped his tea.

Rose smiled, "There's nothing better!"

Tony nodded his head and dropped his sunglasses on the table. He spoke, "Friday. Turn the lights up in here about 22%."

The room got brighter.

"This room is making me sleepy. Where is the baby?"

Rose pointed in the bedroom. "I just put him down. I was thinking about sleeping-"

"Then I'll go and you take a nap with the baby."

Rose held out her hand. "No. It's alright. It's really alright. Stay. I'm fine."

He nodded his head and sat back on the sofa, sipping his cuppa. "Alright. Why is John teaching Genie Latin? What the hell is that about?"

Rose smiled and shook her head as she held Genie. "He says that it is the base of a lot of different languages around the universe. I'm sure he knows what he's doing."

"Oh, I'm sure he does. It's just…..strange. Who speaks Latin?"

Rose smiled, "Do you speak another language besides English?"

He nodded his head. "Of course I do! French."

Rose looked surprised, "Okay, I didn't know that. Did you take it in school?"

He smiled at her. "You don't know?"

"Know what?"

He sipped his tea. "My mom spoke French. Spoke it all the time to me. She tutored me at home until Dad finally had enough of me and sent me to boarding school. I admire what you and John are doing. She seems incredibility smart."

Rose smiled, "Thank you. He tells me just to read to her. All of the time. When I was pregnant, she would lie in the bed next to me and we would read the classics. It was a nice departure from studying physics."

Tony chuckled, "The classics. Yes. I've read most of those. Mom insisted that's how we would spend the time I had off from school, and was at home. She read them to me in French. I had just returned from school where everyone spoke English. It usually took a few days to turn back on that side of my brain. John is amazing how he can speak anything…just….blah. Says what he has to. Doesn't have to think about it. Is that a weird alien thing, or did he take lessons for every language…..?"

Rose giggled, "I have no idea."

"I'll have to ask him."

Rose smiled, "We were in New Germany and he was speaking to a waitress. He turned around and spoke to me, but in German. He didn't realize what he had done. He just looked at me, wondering why I hadn't answered him. Then he realized what he had done. It was rather funny."

Tony smiled, "Do you speak anything other than English?"

Rose smiled sheepishly and said, "French."

He smiled, "You do? Oh, that's right. You grew up in France."

She rolled her eyes at him. He turned to her and said in French. "We should speak French to one another. That way I can practice and so can you."

Rose smiled, and replied in French, "That would lovely. Sure."

Tony continued to speak in French. "Okay, let's practice then. Tell me. John never has said. What happened to Genie's mother?"

Rose looked surprised.

"You understood what I asked?"

Rose nodded her head. "Yes-"

He shook his head and said in French, "Then answer me, but in French. So, you can practice."

Rose sipped her tea and answered him French, "Melissa was a friend of mine. She was killed in a car accident when John and I went to the States. It was terrible. Genie was alone in the flat for three days, waiting for her mum. They had put out the story that I had been killed, so no one called me until she had been in the hospital for a few days."

He pointed at her and replied in French, "I do remember that. That was the night of the State Dinner. You and John announced your engagement that night. I didn't realize that was the same day. Wow. Hell of a day."

Rose smiled, "John and I had just popped back to London to get her a few hours before the dinner. She was upstairs with Mum."

"A Dad?"

"She lost him a few years ago. Some sickness. I don't really know what he had."

Tony shook his head. "Damn. Rough few years for the Lizard."

"A lizard? What?" Rose looked confused.

Tony nodded his head. "Car accident, huh? That's how I lost my Mom."

"How old were you?" Rose asked him, still speaking in French.

"Twenty-one. I can't imagine being as young as her and going through that."

Rose sipped her tea. "She has a lot of people who love her."

"Yeah, that's all you can really do. She talked my ear off about her Daddy and you, today. Oh, and her little brother. How he's so tiny and cute. She said she wants you buy another one, but one that won't make you sick."

Rose giggled, "Buy her one?"

He lifted his hand. "I didn't correct her. Not my job. I'm not explaining that."

He stood up and took his cup of tea back to the food replicator. He pressed a button and it disappeared.

He walked back to the sitting room and spoke in English. "Thank you for the company, and the practice. I've not spoken French with someone I like in a long time."

Rose smiled and spoke in English, again. "Anytime."

He nodded, "I need to go. I have a date tonight that I can't be late for. You probably need to sleep while the children are asleep. Isn't that what they always say?"

Rose smiled. "I do believe so."

He smiled, "Then I won't keep you from it. Tell John, thanks. I'll call him later."

He walked out of the room and Rose took Genie to lay down with Sam.

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	54. Chapter 54 – Joined Climax

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Chapter 54 – Joined Climax

Lewis and The Doctor walked down the hallway of his ship. The Doctor patted Lewis on the back. "I think that's best, Lewis. You're right. Just focus on one thing at a time. We can go ahead and form a plan for one of those events now and make notes as to what we want to do. But we need to regain our focus. We have a lot going on here, as well."

Lewis laughed, "No rest for the wicked. Looks like you probably have my next century planned out for me."

The Doctor stopped and put his hands in his pockets. "Thanks again, Lewis."

Lewis smiled, "You bet."

The Doctor pressed the button to his suite and the door opened. He was busy running his hand through his hair and didn't look up. "Rose?" He called.

"Shhhhhh….. You don't have to come in here all shouting."

He looked up surprised to see Jackie Tyler sitting on the sofa. She was holding Sam and rocking back and forth.

He smiled at her. "Sorry. I could tell everyone was awake."

Jackie shook her head at him, crossly. "Just the children you plum. Rose is sleeping."

He looked surprised at Jackie. He could tell when Rose was asleep and he knew she was awake. He wasn't going to tell Jackie Tyler that though. He cleared his throat. "Right. Sorry. I didn't realize. Where is Genie?"

"She went to that strange gravity room with Tony and Jacob. They woke her up when they got back with Pete a bit ago."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Alright." He unbuttoned his jacket and put his hands on his hips.

Jackie smiled, "I just came down here to change a nappy. I'll go back to the children upstairs. Shh… be quiet and let her sleep."

"Right. I'm just going to get changed. I've got something I need to go do."

He watched her leave the room, and the door slid shut. He walked straight into the bedroom where Rose lay with facing the door. She smiled at him. "Is she gone?"

He laughed, "You are hiding out from your mum. And you talk about me." He walked to the side of the bed and sat down. He rubbed her back. "How are you? You feel tired."

She smiled, "How are you? You are still shielding me. You have all day."

He sighed as she sat up in the bed to look closer at him. She said, "It's hard not being able to feel you. I've grown used to it."

He took both of her hands and kissed them. "I'm sorry. It was just a bad day. I didn't want you to worry."

"Dad shouting at you?" Rose asked him.

He shook his head. "No. No more than usual. I really don't want to talk about it."

Rose stood up on her knees and wrapped her arms around him. She whispered as she looked into his eyes. "Kiss me. Let me back in so I can feel you."

He crashed his lips into hers. All of the hurt he had read about and discovered over the last few hours, made him want to make it up to her with pleasure. He pulled off her t-shirt of his that she was wearing, and rubbed both of her breasts as he continued to snog her. Rose ran both of her hands through his hair, sending it in every direction. She felt him move his hands to her back to hold her closer as he continued to kiss her. She moaned.

 _'Oh, my God! Have you missed me this much?'_ Rose asked him in his head.

 _'I love you this much.'_ He told her.

His wristband lit up. "Ugh! Damn it! Everytime." He complained.

He tapped the wristband as he continued to kiss Rose quietly. Rose unbuttoned his vest and oxford. "Yeah. Talk."

"Yeah, talk? What the hell sortof greeting is that?" Jack asked.

He continued to kiss her, "What do you need?"

"Well, Timon said the preliminary tasks are done and we're ready to go. Legate's ship is standing by for you when you're ready to get his show on the road." Jack's voice said.

He stopped kissing Rose and spoke. "Alright. Thanks. I just need to get changed out of this suit. I'll be in the hanger in a bit."

"Right." Jack said as he ended the transmission.

Rose looked at him as he quickly stood up and took off his jacket. "Don't worry. We have a new game. It's called, how fast can the Doctor get undressed?"

Rose covered her mouth and laughed. "Do you need help?"

He didn't look up from unbuttoning his oxford and his pants fell in the floor. He looked surprised at her. She laughed, "Telekinesis can be a great thing."

He laughed as he climbed onto the bed on top of her and his lips met hers again. She slipped down his pants and rolled him over so she was on top of him. He rubbed her hips as she sat on him. "When did you get rid of those knickers? I didn't even notice."

She leaned down and kissed him again. He slipped himself inside of her and she began to move back and forth. He grabbed her hips and helped her move. He moaned and bent his knees to push himself deeper inside of her. Rose cried out.

She lay down on top of him and met his lips again. He closed his eyes tightly, "Rose. This is…..amazing."

Rose smiled, "You've stopped shielding me. Why are you so…. Concerned. Is that what I feel?"

He rolled his eyes. "That's called an invasion of feelings. I'm concerned about you. That's all."

Rose kissed him. "I'm fine. You worry too much about me."

"It's my job." He told her.

"You need other things to occupy your mind with."

"Oh. I'm listening. What do you have in mind?"

"Sweetheart. Let's do this." She sent an image to his mind.

He nodded his head. "Sure. Whatever you like."

Rose took a pillow and lay down with it on her stomach. He entered her from behind and started to stroke again. Rose moaned as he panted. _'Is this what you wanted?'_

Rose started to cry out as he ran his fingers around the outside of where he was inside of her. He teased the area as he began to twist his hips.

He could feel goosebumps forming on his body from the tingling Rose was feeling in hers. The pleasure she began to find bled into him. As she cried out, so did he. Her orgasm brought his. It was like a current of electricity run through them both. They continued the motions to keep the current flowing through them. Both of them unable to muffle their sounds of enjoyment, they continued. After a few extraordinary moments, he collapsed on the bed next to her. "Oh wow. Damn. Woo!"

Rose rolled over and looked stunned at him. Both of them, covered in sweat, could only lay there and try to catch their breath as they looked at each another. Rose laid her hand on his cheek and rubbed his thin beard as he panted. "Baby, I love you."

He cupped her cheek, "It's not just what I feel, it's what I do not feel for anyone else. I could start a fire with what I feel for you. I cherish every moment I spend with you, every breath you take. I'd never do anything that would ever make you unhappy or hurt you. You do know that, right?"

"I know that." She smiled.

He rubbed her cheek, "I love you, more than can be measured. Never forget that. I promise I'll always keep you safe, and you'll never be unhappy or hurt again."

Rose looked curiously at him. "Sweetheart, are you alright? You feel….."

"Oh, the Gods. Satisfied. Woman. I just…. Wow." He said as he covered his face with his hands.

Rose giggled at him. "I know. That was so amazing. I don't want to move."

He turned his head and looked at her. "Then don't. Lay here and relax." He rose up and kissed her chest and up to her neck. "I'll go get your robe or something. Tell me what you want. Jackie thinks you are sleeping. Sleep if you want."

Rose smiled, "Oh, that sounds like a good offer."

He leaned down and smiled at her. "Then take it. I'm going to go copy a house for you. We'll try for another Joined Climax together later tonight. That was BRILLIANT!"

Rose didn't move. "A what? What was that?"

He got up and Rose noticed him stumble a bit as he stood. He stopped and held out his hands to steady himself. "Alright. I'm alright. Woo!"

Rose laughed at him. "You are so clumsy."

He turned around and laughed at her. "You say I'm clumsy. Don't try to get up for about ten minutes. You won't be able to walk. I don't know, you might pass out. Huh. I don't know what that does to humans. Huh."

He put his pants on as he quickly caught himself from falling by leaning on the wall.

Rose lay on the bed and watched him, without moving. "My entire body is numb. Is this what you are on about?"

He nodded his head as he put one leg in his jeans and fell in the floor with a loud thump. Rose rolled her eyes and laughed at him. When she looked back over at him, he was pulling on his blue oxford over his dark blue t-shirt. "Right. He said. "Joined Climax. That's our new goal. Damn. But, not all of the time. It takes about ten minutes to get back…. To yourself." He mumbled as he ran his hands through his sweaty hair.

Rose smiled at him. "You seem alright."

He turned and looked back at her. "It's an illusion, my dear. What shall I bring you? Do you want anything?"

Rose thought, "I should put something on-"

"Silk! That's what you need. It will help your skin keep that feeling." He said as he opened one of the drawers and pulled out her silk gown. He sat down next to her and helped her put it on. She was amazed at how unresponsive her body was to her demands.

He pulled the gown on her and pulled the duvet up to her chest. He smiled down at her. "Sweetheart. I know it's strange, but you will be alright."

He could feel that Rose was comfortable. Not only in her skin, but with him and the entire situation. Rose looked at him, "I trust you. Although, I don't really feel as though I can move properly."

He smiled, "You won't be able to move properly for a few more minutes. I'll stay with you until you are completely alright. It's possible you might pass out, but Rose. You are completely fine. I am sorry. I should have told you this could happen-"

Rose smiled, "You've told me about this before. I just couldn't remember what you had called it. I'm so, incredibility relaxed right now."

He kissed her hand and watched her. "Maybe you should try to sleep. We have a date tonight."

Rose smiled as he ran his hand through her hair. "Yes, we do. I've still not rested. Tony showed up with Genie asleep, and then he left. Then Mum showed up."

He smiled. "It's been a long day for you. The days will get better after our house is in the same time zone as London. It's going to make you feel better."

"I feel like I sleep, all of the time." Rose complained.

He smiled, "It will be alright. Starting tomorrow, it will be more…normal."

Rose smiled as she closed her eyes. "We can go for a run together. Then come home for another….what did you call it?"

He nodded his head and put on his socks and shoes, "A Joined Climax is what it is. Yep! I've never experienced that before. Well, I've never been joined with anyone before. See, when two people experience intense pleasure, at the same time, and certain parts ….. ummm…. connect. It briefly will rebound the sensation and just bounce it between the partners. Like a light between two mirrors."

Rose shook her head. "Baby, you are talking about atomic physics. Really?"

He dropped his foot and looked back at her. "Explain that to me."

Rose rolled her eyes at him, "In the simplest case such as a class of cavities called Fabry Perot cavities, photons are confined by two highly reflecting mirrors by reflected reflections. You are saying we are acting like mirrors and our pleasure is the light. In the field of atomic physics, a photon can be trapped almost up to few micro seconds between the mirrors."

"They are mostly used to enhance interaction between a single atom and a single photon. The photon is trapped inside such a cavity where a single atom is also localized. Although the free space interaction strength between atom-photon is weak, the photon in this case is reflected backwards and forwards till it gets absorbed by the atom."

He bit his lip. She could feel his lust growing. He closed his eyes tightly and moaned, "Damn it, woman. Why do you have to be so hot when I have to go?"

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "I was just clarifying-"

"In the simplest case. Geez. I appreciate that." He teased.

"Can I sit up?" Rose asked him.

He continued to smile at her. "Close your eyes and stay still. I'll get you a cup of tea. It will help."

He chuckled as he walked out of the room and into the sitting room to the food replicator. "Rose's tea." He requested. The machine sprang to life and a cup of tea appeared.

He sipped it to make sure it was right and went back into the bedroom. Rose hadn't moved. He sat down next to her, "Rose. I have your tea."

She didn't open her eyes. He put her tea on the table beside the bed. He picked up his trousers and pulled out his sonic screwdriver from the pocket. He scanned her quickly and nodded. He placed his hand on her forehead and kissed her cheek. "You sleep, sweetheart. I'll wake you up in our new home. Dream of the memories we will make there."

Rose smiled in her sleep.

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	55. Chapter 55 - Island Cloning

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Chapter 55 - Island Cloning

The Doctor walked out of his suite's door. He was humming a tune and singing under his breath. He met Jack as he walked down the hallway.

Jack laughed at him. "What the hell are you so damn happy about?"

The Doctor bit his lip and shook his head. "Can't tell you."

Jack rolled his eyes as they walked down the hallway together. "Oh, you can. Copying a house excite you this much?"

The Doctor pointed at Jack. "Being around Rose excites me this much."

Jack covered his ears. "Ugh. Gross, I really don't want to hear about this. $100 says you just got laid. That's why you are singing Sinatra songs again."

The Doctor laughed under his breath. "Get it right, man. Dean Martin."

Jack waved his hand, "What the hell ever. I'm happy you are happy. Happier though that Rose is happy."

"This day has sucked. I won't lie. But, the last 17 minutes. Brilliant! Best in all of my lives. True story."

Jack smiled. "Trying to be happy for you without gagging, man. Can we talk shop?"

He nodded, "Yes. Go."

"Found out who cooked up the Bee Sting venom. He is also one of the Agents who are missing a tooth, so my guess is that he's part of the crater." Jack told him.

"Ugh. Damn it. Someone is still there that was in on this. Has to be." The Doctor groaned.

They continued to walk down the hallway. Jack nodded his head. "See, and now is the news I'm going to give you and you are going to be a happy man and start singing Sinatra again."

The Doctor stopped and put his hands on his hips. "I'm ready."

"Remember the tool that they needed to pull out the tooth? The Dentist that installed the GPS's was in the building last night. Jake has him now with that Rixalarian Doctor you have to go see."

He smiled, "That is good news! Are they questioning him now?"

Jack smiled, "Indeed. Jake wanted me to come inform you."

The Doctor pointed at Jack. "Take Lewis down with you to listen to the questioning. He might be able to help."

Jack nodded his head. "Sure. I'm headed back down in just a few minutes. I'll go get him."

The Doctor shook his head. "No need. I just told him. He's on his way to meet you in the transporter room now."

Jack sighed, "Yeah, that's not strange at all."

"I never said I was normal. In fact, I take great pride in the fact that I'm not. Humans are strange."

Jack laughed, "Yes, we are. Anyway. So, tell me. What has you so damn happy?"

They had reached the hanger. The Doctor stopped and looked back at Jack for a moment. Jack held out his hands, "Well. Tell me!"

The Doctor shook his head and chuckled, "I shouldn't."

Jack pointed at himself. "Come on, man. It's me. How long have we known one another?"

The Doctor rubbed his beard and smiled. "Alright. Two words. Joined Climax." The Doctor walked into the hanger as Jack stood in shock over what he had just said.

"Oh, bullshit. I don't believe that." He demanded.

The Doctor heard Genie, Tony and Jacob's voices shout his name as soon as he walked into the hanger. Zeus barked and ran to him with the children. He knelt down and picked up all three of the children at once as he walked across the hanger.

Genie was beaming. "Grandfather says that you are taking us all for a space ship ride!"

He smiled, "Yep! We're going to do something, really neat!"

Tony smiled, "Does it involve football?"

Jacob rolled his eyes. "Does everything have to involve football with you?"

Tony nodded his head. "Yeah!"

Jack walked behind him a few steps. "Doc'. I'm going back with Lewis. Inform Director Tyler. And about that other? I call B.S. on that. No way."

The Doctor laughed as Jack turned around and left the hanger. The Doctor sat the children down and they ran to the ship. Poltoius shepherded them all inside through the large door in the back. Pete walked over to the Doctor. "Hey. We made it back just in time. Jacks says Rose is asleep."

The Doctor rubbed his beard. "Yeah. This house being in the same time zone is really going to help her a lot. She says she feels like she sleeps all of the time."

Pete nodded his head. "Did you talk to her?"

The Doctor shook his head. "I'm not going to talk to her about this. She can talk to me about it if she wants. I'm not going to bring it up."

Pete nodded his head. "How many did you get through?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "Enough to form a plan. Pete, I'm going to fix this. This. It's all my fault. There are things I can go back and change, and things I can't. I've decided that's what I'm going to do. Anything I can go back and fix, I'm going to do it. I'll be able to start doing that in a few years."

Pete put both of his hands on his face and sighed, "Son. No. That's not what needs to happen. Just leave it alone. If you go out and start messing about with this, then we could lose you. Where the hell would she be then? Huh?"

The Doctor pointed to himself. "Pete. I did this for centuries. I know what I'm doing. I know what I can change, and what I can't. There are parts of this, big parts I can go back and prevent it from happening to her."

Pete was already shaking his head. "No. Then they will happen to you. Just leave it. Let it just be in the past."

"The past? Pete. I'm a Time Lord. The past, present, future. It's all the same to me. This happened four years ago, well. In ten years, I'm going back there to prevent it from happening. Then, I'll come back. Simple as that."

Pete covered his face and shook his head. "I'm not going to fight with you now about something that will happen in ten years. I just hope you will have came to your damn senses by then!" Pete walked away.

The Doctor sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "One day, these people will realize I know what I'm talking about!"

Poltious whistled to the Doctor. "Hey! Let's do this."

The Doctor jogged over to the door and walked into Legate's ship with Poltious. "You're coming with us?"

Poltious pressed the button to close the door. "If you don't mind. Tony was so excited about it that he wanted me to join him."

The Doctor smiled as they walked up to the cockpit. Genie, Tony and Jacob were already in their seats and Poltious had helped them on with their seatbelts. Pete sat on the second row with the children and was putting his seatbelt on. "How wild of a ride will this be? I've rode with Gobbo before."

The Doctor looked at Poltious and smiled. "Not bad, Pete. Anyway. I meant to tell you. Jack just came to see me. They have a tooth extractor they are questioning right now."

Pete looked surprised, "Well, it's about damn time. That is good news."

The Doctor sat down in the front seat next to Poltious. The Doctor looked back. "Are we ready?"

Genie clapped her hands together. "Yes, Daddy! Can you really fly a space ship?"

He smiled as he pressed a series of buttons all around the console. Poltious pressed a few on his side and mumbled something. "Yes, sweetheart. Daddy has flown a lot of space ships."

Tony was interested. "How many, brother!?"

The Doctor chuckled, "I really don't know."

"Give us a number!" Tony insisted.

"It's always a number for a Tyler." The Doctor smiled as he held down a button. "Timon. We're ready here."

Timon's voice came over the speaker. "Got it. We're opening the doors. Lance should pick you up in about three minutes."

"Right." The Doctor said as they watched the huge dock doors open on the side of the hanger. The blackness of space shown outside of the ship. Pete watched as the children's faces all lit up.

Jacob smiled, "This is awesome, Doctor John!"

The Doctor smiled, "We've not even got out of the ship, yet."

Jacob laughed.

The Doctor pressed some buttons and they felt the unmistakable sensation of them rising up and moving forward. Genie screamed under her breath, but the Doctor heard it clearly in his head. They flew out of the ship. The Doctor pointed at the window. "Alright. We're going to play a game while we are on our journey. I'm going to ask questions. You get ten points if you get the correct answer. The winner gets a special surprise once we get back to the ship."

Jacob rubbed his hands together excitedly. "I'm game!"

Tony smiled, "Let's do it!"

Genie smiled, "Alright, Daddy!"

He heard Rose in his head, _'Is that Genie screaming?'_

He bit his lip. _'She's fine. She was excited. I'm sorry we woke you up. Go back to sleep.'_

 _'What are you doing?'_

 _'Flying around in a space ship.'_

 _'Ugh. I'm going back to sleep.'_ Rose said.

He chuckled at her. "Genie. You woke your mum up with your squeaky shouting. Try to stay calm."

Genie covered her mouth and smiled, "Sorry, Mummy."

Pete smiled at her.

"Okay, first question. What is that called?" The Doctor asked as he pointed at the Earth.

"The Earth." Jacob said.

"Antarctica." Tony said.

"The South Pole!" Genie smiled.

Poltious smiled, "And the judge says?"

The Doctor rubbed his beard as he pressed some buttons. "Everyone has 10 points."

The children all celebrated. "Yes!"

"We are going to the middle of the Earth, so what is that called?"

"The equator!" Jacob exclaimed.

"Zero latitude!" Tony said.

"Up! North, from where we are now." Genie said.

Pete was laughing at their enthusiasm. "And the judge says?"

The Doctor smiled, "Everyone has 20 points now. Dang. Tough room. I need to ask harder questions."

Poltious laughed. "Let me ask some questions."

The Doctor nodded his head. "Alright. Think of something good."

Lance's voice came over the speakers. "We see you there Doc'. Who do you have with you?"

The Doctor pressed a button. "I have Director Tyler, Tony Tyler, Genie, Jacob and Poltious."

Lance laughed, "Oh hell yeah! Poltious! There is a Caksy Cruiser in the lane. He's trying to find someone to test his engines with. Interested? I mean, after you are finished here I'm sure."

Poltious looked back at the Doctor. "Nah. I'm in my son's ship. He wouldn't like me taking her out like that."

Legate's voice came over the speaker. "Father. I'm good with it. Go ahead."

Poltious grit his teeth. "I don't know. I've not done that in a long time."

Lance laughed, "Well, have a think about it. I see you approaching the Pacific home. We are blocking local radars."

Poltious snapped his fingers. "I have a question. At what angle does a human ship have to navigate through the atmosphere of the Earth?"

Tony waved his hand. "I have no idea."

Jacob smiled. "Oh! I know that one! It's not a simple number. The corridor is like a hallway. You have to go in like you are walking through a hallway. It's a formula astronauts use."

The Doctor looked impressed. "Very good! Wow!"

"What angle do you have to keep this ship at?" Jacob asked.

The Doctor smiled. "Same thing. Although, we can bounce a bit if we want. Our shields are a lot better than they have here now. And what happens if you don't mind the corridor?"

Jacob shrugged his shoulders, "You burn up. It's how the meteoroids keep from hitting the surface of the planet. Earth is actually hit by several thousand every day."

Tony shook his head. "Dang it. They had to ask space questions. Jacob knows everything about space. That's all he reads about."

The Doctor was impressed. "Good! Jacob has 50 points, Genie and Tony are at 20 points."

Jacob crossed his arms and smiled proudly.

Tony shook his head. "John! Ask some football questions. I know all of those."

Pete laughed at his son. "That's not how it works, son."

They continued to fly until they noticed the screen showed the blue sky and the ocean under them. Poltious smiled. "I've got another question for the children. How fast are we going?"

Jacob rubbed his chin. "Well. That's tricky. The space shuttle after orbiting the Earth, re-enters the atmosphere at 17,300 mph. But, then it starts to slow down after reentry to about 75 miles when it is above the Earth. The landing speed varies somewhat, depending on weather and other factors, but the speed at touchdown is usually at about 220 mph."

The Doctor looked at Poltious in surprise. "Did you tell him that?"

Poltious laughed, "No. I honestly didn't know that. Did you?"

Tony shook his head. "I'm telling you, John. He only reads books about space. It's a sickness."

The Doctor laughed, "Once, the shuttle had to land going over 300 mph. Do you know about that, Jacob?"

Jacob nodded his head. "Sure! That was when they had to land at White Sands, New Mexico in March of 1982. Because the shuttle had only 17 degrees to bleed off its speed as it was coming in for a landing, as opposed to the 270 degrees it usually travels, it touched down at the whopping speed of 310 mph! Not to mention nearly lifting off of the ground again as it landed."

The Doctor smiled, clearly impressed with Jacob. "Why?"

Jacob shrugged his shoulders. "It was really windy there and they were going too fast. But, everything ended up alright."

Pete rubbed his face impressed with Jacob. "Jacob Shepherd. I had no idea you knew all about this."

Jacob smiled proudly, "I'm going to be an astronaut. Well, I guess I'm already one, right John? I mean, I've been in space, walked in space and all of that."

The Doctor chuckled as he nodded his head. "Yes. I suppose you are."

They continued to fly. Within a few moments, they had arrived at the island home and hovered in front of it. The Doctor pointed at the window. "Alright. Easy one. Where are we?"

The children looked. Genie smiled, "Easy! That's home!"

The Doctor smiled, "Right. Genie has 30, Tony 20 and Jacob has….ummm… 80."

Tony held up his hands. "Still haven't heard a football question, brother. Bollocks."

Pete thumped Tony on the side of the head. "Ah! Language, son."

Tony sighed.

Poltious pressed some buttons. "I've got the directional canon in place. Do you want it right beside of the other ones?"

The Doctor rubbed his chin. "I think that's best. Just right up next to it. Parallel."

Poltious nodded his head as he looked at a screen and typed a few things in. "Alright. We're ready."

The Doctor pressed a button and spoke to Timon. "We're in place."

Timon's voice came across the speaker. "Right. Standby. Cloning stage one is a go."

The Doctor pointed at the screen. "Children, can you see this?"

The children couldn't really see what was happening, so their excitement was minimal. Poltious assured them that their trip would get more interesting as they went back out into orbit, flew around the Earth once and then re-entered the atmosphere again.

The Doctor thought of another question. "Got it! How many different parts are there in the atmosphere for Earth, and name them."

Genie and Tony smiled and said together. "Exosphere, Thermosphere, Mesosphere, Stratosphere and Troposphere."

Pete smiled, "How did you know that?"

Tony pointed at the Doctor. "It's part of school that he made us memorize."

Poltious smiled as the sky turned blue again, "On the count of three, which one are we currently in? One….two…. three."

All three of the children shouted, "Thermosphere."

Poltious looked at the Doctor. "And the judge says?"

The Doctor looked back at Poltious. "That's right. We're not down far enough to be in the Mesosphere, yet."

Pete laughed, "Okay, so the score is Tony and Genie are at 50, while Jacob is at 90. Right?"

The Doctor rubbed his chin. "I think so. I've lost count. Let's go with those numbers."

Tony lifted his hands, "Dude! Really?"

Genie giggled, "We might catch up to Jacob."

Pete pointed at Tony. "Points can be deducted for language."

Tony rolled his eyes.

The ship stopped and they looked out over an island. The Doctor sighed, "Alright. Everyone pay attention. This is going to be brilliant. Poltious, have you got the screen up?"

Poltious looked at the screen and moved some images around on a grid. He pointed at it. "That's where you had put everything. Have another look and make sure you are satisfied with your placement."

The Doctor looked at the grid. "I'm good with that. What do you think?"

Poltious nodded his head. "Looks good to me." He pressed the button, "Timon. We're in place here. The canon is ready."

Timon's voice came over the speaker, "Got it. Standby. House and workshop first. If this reactor decides to blow, you will need to have your shields up."

The Doctor and Poltious looked at one another. Poltious didn't look away and clicked a button. "We're at maximum."

Pete asked, "Is that a possibility?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Nah. Well, yeah. But, nah."

Pete crossed his arms, "I'm not comforted."

Genie started to speak. The Doctor held up his finger. "Ah! Time and place, Genie. No."

Genie folded her arms and looked cross at her Daddy.

Poltious looked out at the window. "Alright. Forming in 3…..2…1….."

Just as if someone had transported it down to the island, the island home appeared in front of them. All of the children saw it as it appeared out of nowhere and gasped.

"Okay, that was cool!" Jacob exclaimed.

"How did you do that?" Tony asked.

"And we didn't blow up!" Genie exclaimed.

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "We're not going to blow up. Daddy wouldn't put you in a place if he thought you would blow up."

Genie started to argue with him. He quickly pointed at her. "Genie. Not the time, nor the place. No."

Genie crossed her arms and returned to pouting. Pete laughed under his breath at her.

They all watched as the other buildings formed. The boathouse and the dock, then the ship formed on the edge of the water. Then Poltious smiled, "Alright. Question for the children. What else does this island need?"

Timon's voice came over the speaker, "Give us just a minute. We have to re-aim the directional beam."

"Right." The Doctor said.

Pete shook his head. "What are they doing? They cloned everything."

Genie was finished pouting and asked, "Daddy. Does this mean we have two islands now?"

The Doctor rubbed his beard as he looked out at the island. "Yes, Genie. We have two islands."

Tony asked, "You bought another island? When did you do that?"

The Doctor chuckled, "As it turned out, no one knew about this one. No one has ever seen it. It's in an odd place. I've hidden things there before, well…. Not this island….but, the one like where I came from."

Pete seemed surprised, "Huh. I didn't know that. I thought you had gone through the real estate thing again."

"Nah. No one knows it's here, and with the perception filters, no one will ever find it that I don't want to see it." the Doctor explained.

Pete looked impressed. "Good deal."

Timon came over the speaker, "Alright. Are you in position? We've got it."

Poltious pressed the button, "We are. Go ahead."

The Doctor smiled back at Tony's face as he watched the football pitch form on the edge of the island. "Really?! REALLY?!"

The Doctor laughed, "Legate thought about it. What do you think?"

Tony was excited. "You still have the one in the house, right?"

"The house is exactly the same." The Doctor told him.

Poltious teased, "Your cheesy socks are still under your bed, Tony."

Tony punched the air. "Alright! Brilliant! Can we go down and see it?"

The Doctor looked at Poltious. Want to land her on the pitch?"

Poltious smiled. "I suppose we should check everything to make sure it's right before we bring everyone down."

The Doctor pressed some buttons and nodded his head. Poltious pressed the communications button, "Timon. We're going to set her down and check everything over."

Timon's voice came back on, "Good idea. You're clear."

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	56. Chapter 56 - The Race

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Chapter 56 - The Race

They sat the ship down and the children were out of their seat belts in record time to rush out of the door. Jacob knew which button to hit to open the door, and he managed without problem. They ran out on the pitch as The Doctor stood up and flipped some more buttons to turn off the ship. Poltious smiled, "I'll go have a look at the flats. You check on the house and workshop."

The Doctor smiled, "Sounds good."

Poltious exited the ship, "Hey! Children. Stay together."

He was met with a chorus of, "Alright."

Pete walked out of the back of the ship and looked around the pitch. He squinted his eyes at the bright, evening light. He turned to look at the Doctor as he walked out of the back of the ship. "This is really something. Which pitch is this? It looks familiar."

Tony ran up. "I know that one. It's the one from the Royal Gardens. Now I'm at 60 points!"

Pete laughed at his son as he watched him run back across the pitch with Jacob and Genie. Pete crossed his arms, "I love seeing them like this. Just running. Being children. Not worried about anything. That's how it should be."

The Doctor watched the children run around and play. "It is. They are quite safe here. Let's go look over the house."

Pete yelled at the children, "We're going in the house. You lot be careful out here."

Genie was turning cartwheels in the grass and laughing. "Daddy! I love this pitch! The grass is nice!"

Pete walked with the Doctor into the house and looked around. "Everything looks good. What do we really need to check?"

The Doctor rubbed his chin. "I probably need to check the arc reactor. Make sure it's alright. Then the power and water. Go ahead and get it circulating. The heat needs to be turned on, if it's off. Wait, no. It's summer here in the southern hemisphere. Keep the air conditioning on. Those sorts of things."

Pete nodded his head. "Alright. I'll walk through the house and you go check everything else."

After a quick walk through, the Doctor, Pete and Poltious declared it was a perfect clone of the other island home. Complete with every item that the other home had, including a football that the Doctor brought out to the children who still played on the pitch. When Pete joined them, the Doctor was already out there with them, kicking a ball and playing with the children.

Poltious walked up next to Pete. "House good?"

Pete crossed his arms, "Looks fine. Flats?"

Poltious smiled. "Perfect. It's nice to have more room."

The men played football for a while with the children. It became dark and the Doctor insisted they all return with Legate's ship. The children were anxious for another ride in the space ship. They quickly got in and fastened their seatbelts. The Doctor was the last one in the ship and he closed the large back door. Poltious was already busy pressing buttons and the engine could be heard powering up.

The Doctor stood behind the children's seats. "Okay. So what's the score?"

Tony pointed at himself. "I have 60, Genie is 50, and Jacob is 90."

The Doctor pointed at Jacob. "Alright. Jacob wins. We are all agreed?"

The children nodded, "Agreed."

The Poltious nodded, "Good. Jacob. Take my seat, John is going to let you fly us back up."

Jacob couldn't move. He was in shock over the statement. Pete laughed at his reaction. "Oh, I wish Howie could see this. Jacob. Doc'. You're going to have to smack him back to reality."

The Doctor sat down in his seat and turned around to Jacob. "Jacob. Come up there and let show you how to do this. Nutter. "

Poltious chuckled at Jacob's reaction. He turned to the Doctor. "Legate had the same face for his first flying lesson."

The Doctor smiled proudly, "I knew he would have his reaction."

Jacob took off his seatbelt and traded seats with Poltious. Poltious sat down between Genie and Tony and relaxed. "Ah… give us a smooth ride, boys. It's been a long day."

The Doctor smiled at Jacob. "Alright. Don't worry about this. Poltious taught Legate to fly when he was even younger than you are. You'll be fine. The computer does mostly everything. You take the throttle there and gently lift up. You have control. And I'm right here if you need me."

Jacob couldn't believe his luck. He followed every instruction given to him by the Doctor. Pete took a small video and sent it to Howie and Caroline. Poltious declared that he would make a hell of a pilot one day. Tony and Genie cheered for him. The Doctor couldn't remember ever seeing Jacob smile so much all of the time he had known him.

Once they got out in space, Legate contacted them. "Hey, we see you. Everything all finished?"

The Doctor held the button down and replied, "It looks great. I can't wait for you lot to see it!"

Legate chuckled, "Alright! Who's flying?"

The Doctor pointed at the button he had held and told Jacob. "Hold it down while you are speaking. Sortof like a radio."

Jacob pressed down the button and said, "I'm flying. This is Jacob."

Legate's voice came on, "Well, alright! I was about your age the first time I flew. I fell in love with it. What do you think, Jacob?"

Jacob smiled, "So far it's awesome! I'm worried about the landing."

The Doctor smiled, "Ahh. That's the worst part. I'll do that today. Don't worry about it."

Lance teased, "So, Poltious. Are you headed out to the lane?"

Poltious bit his lip. "Oh, I shouldn't do that."

Pete asked the Doctor. "What are they on about?"

The Doctor chuckled, "They want to know if he wants to go race this Caksy Cruiser. Oh…. they are fast."

Poltious shook his head. "Hell, this ship is way faster. I'd run circles around that guy in this."

Pete laughed, "Why not, Poltious?"

"Why not? Because I'm in the ship with four, no five of the family I'm supposed to be protecting. No. Lewis would kill me." He quickly turned to the Doctor and pointed forcefully at him. "And you know it. Don't tempt me by saying you would approve of it."

The Doctor chuckled and held up his hands. "Hey. I agree with you. We should be adults here."

Poltious nodded. "Yes. Adults."

"No racing." The Doctor agreed.

"No racing." Poltious repeated as he bit his lip.

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yep."

Poltious looked at Pete, who was smiling at him.

Poltious rose up and pressed the button, "Legate. Tell them to give me fifteen minutes. I'll give him a run. Let me drop of this lot, first."

Tony protested immediately. "Poltious! What?! I want to go."

Poltious shook his head. "Racing is dangerous, no Tony."

Tony looked betrayed. "I bet you'll let John go!"

Poltious looked back at the Doctor. "Well, if he wants to. But, he's an adult-"

"Man, that's so unfair!" Tony exclaimed.

Pete patted his son's knee. "One day you'll understand why."

Tony sighed, "That's what John says. But it's usually about kissing."

Pete looked surprised back at the Doctor. "Kissing?"

The Doctor shook his head. "Yeah. Don't worry about it. Tony, I'll go back to the ship with you. Rose would kill me if she knew I was out here racing with Poltious."

Tony shook his head. "Nah. You should go if you want. Rose would think that would be fun. Man. I wish I could go."

XxxxxXxxxxx

The Doctor and Poltious dropped Pete and the children back off at the Doctor's ship. Then they departed immediately again. Poltious flew out to the major lane and over to Mars. Sitting behind it was the Caksy Cruiser. They came up beside of it.

Poltious rubbed his hands together. "I've not done this in a long time. You?"

The Doctor pressed a few buttons. "Oh, it's been a very long time. I was just a kid."

Legate came on the speaker. "Alright. The race is a loop around Saturn, then back to the Mars. We're watching you here at Space Traffic Control, and the Cruiser has someone over behind Titan."

The Doctor smiled, "How's the odds?"

Legate laughed, "Oh, you can probably imagine. This is just what everyone here at Torchwood needs after last night. You have a roomful of people in here cheering you on. Give them hell."

Poltious nodded his head. "Alright."

The Doctor smiled, "You got this?"

Poltious nodded and smiled, "Yeah. This is a walk in the park. You are my commanding officer in this situation. Just tell me to win."

The Doctor smiled, "That's all you need, man?"

Poltious looked back at him. "In the words of General Patton of Earth. 'I'm a soldier. I fight where I'm told, and I win where I fight'."

Lance came over the speaker, "Alright. Lewis is in the dark. Do you both have your transport emergency-"

"Yeah. Fuck that. Let's go already." The Doctor complained.

He could hear Jack laughing at him. "He's not wearing that shit. Do you know who you are talking to?"

Then came a series of beeps over the speakers in the ship. The Doctor looked at Poltious. "Hey, Poltious."

He smiled as he pressed a button. "Yeah?"

"Win."

Poltious smiled, "With pleasure."

The last beep sounded and Poltious and the cruiser speed out into the lane. They were flying directly next to one another at the same rate of speed.

Poltious looked over at his opponent. "They have made some modifications."

The Doctor asked, "Problem?"

Poltious shook his head and smiled, "Nah. We've only gotten started."

The two ships flew around the traffic that was currently in the lane. More than once, Poltious had to slip the ship underneath the bigger cruiser he was racing to keep them from bumping into one another.

The Doctor rubbed his beard. "Is he trying to hit us? Is that the deal here?"

Poltious chuckled, "Oh, once we loop around Saturn, he won't get a chance to catch up."

The Doctor looked surprised, "What do you mean?"

Poltious smiled, "This is my son's ship. I taught him everything he knows. I know what he has in here."

Legate's voice came over the speaker. "Father. You're coming up on your loop."

Poltious leaned back in the seat, and pulled out a panel from the wall. Hidden inside were a series of buttons. Poltious pressed three of the buttons and held them down.

The Doctor smiled, "Ummm… that is illegal to have on ships this size."

Poltious shook his head. "Ah. Only in certain galaxies. This one hasn't made any rules on it yet. Doc'. How are you at free-return trajectories?"

The Doctor already had his hands on the controls. "Oh, this will be brilliant. Go ahead."

Poltious killed the engine and the Cruiser flew out in front of them several meters as they continued to fly, caught in the gravity of Saturn. The Doctor handled the loop as Poltious kept his fingers on the three buttons. Under them, three gauges of light began to blink, first slowly, then very fast. Poltious smiled, "Got it. Ready?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yep!"

Poltious released the buttons and the engine fired back into life. The thrust of the ship pressed the Doctor and Poltious back in their seats as the ship speed up and left the cruiser far behind. By the time the men at Torchwood stopped cheering, they were already back to Mars and claiming their victory with a loop around the red planet.

XxxxxxXxxxxxx


	57. Chapter 57 - Good Advice from Sam

XxxxxxXxxxxxx

Chapter 54 - Good Advice from Sam

The Doctor and Poltious walked out of the back of Legate's ship. Both of the men were laughing and celebrating Poltious' win. Aemilius met them in the hanger. "What did I tell you? Can he fly or what?"

The Doctor laughed as he wiped his eyes. "I've never had my eyes sucked back in my head like that. Damn. Hell of a pilot."

Poltious laughed. "Oh, that was great! Did you win anything, Aemilius?"

Aemilius waved them off. "Nah. Everyone here bet for you, so no money exchanged hands. Although, Lewis is looking for you."

Lewis' voice called from across the hanger. "No, Lewis has found them. Are you lot racing? Is that what I've heard?"

The Doctor and Poltious looked at one another. "Well. Umm…"

Lewis put his hands on his hips and looked at them sternly. "Go on. Out with it."

The Doctor pointed at himself. "This was my fault, Lewis. I ordered him to do it. Aemilius had told me what a great pilot he was and I wanted to see it for myself."

Lewis nodded his head, "And you, Poltious?"

Poltious nodded, "I wanted to see if I could still do it. Legate offered his ship. We dropped off Pete and the children, first. It was just the two of us."

Lewis nodded his head and laughed under his breath as he rubbed his face. "You guys will be the death of me."

The Doctor looked at Aemilius. "I think he's alright with this."

Lewis waved them off. "Hell, I don't care. You are both Quauhtin. If this is how you decide you want to die, there's nothing I can do to save you."

Poltious pointed at the Doctor, "But, he's one of the family."

Lewis shook his head. "No. He could be Primus or a member of the family. He chose Primus, he's on his own."

The Doctor turned and smiled proudly at Poltious. "And just like that, I'm out of trouble with Lewis. Why I did the trials. Oh, I could get used to this. Freedom is fantastic."

Poltious laughed.

Lewis turned to walk away. Then turned suddenly around and faced them both again. "Both of you though, I think you have a death wish. And I know why."

Poltious and the Doctor looked at one another again.

"You think?" Poltious asked nervously.

"Nah." The Doctor insisted. "We're fine. Both of us."

Lewis nodded his head. "Yeah. I've had time to think about it. I think it would be good for you both to go talk to someone about this constant need for an adrenaline rush. The Rixalarian psychiatrist is expecting you both tomorrow. On my orders."

The Doctor looked shocked, "What?"

Poltious shook his head and groaned. "Damn Rixalarian. Are you joshing me?"

Lewis smiled and shook his head. "I'm not. Both of you have to be cleared before you can go back on active duty." He pointed at the Doctor. "Rose is going to be pissed. You better hope she doesn't find out."

Lewis walked away. Poltious groaned. "Damn it. A Rixalarian, too. They can just drag anything out of you."

The Doctor shook his head. "Ah. I'm not worrying about this tonight. I needed a holiday anyway. So do you, Poltious. Look at it that way. More time for football."

Poltious chuckled as he joined the Doctor as they walked out of the hanger.

XxxxxXxxxxxx

Rose woke up to the evening sun shining in her face. The warm, sea breeze blew into the island bedroom. She lay in the silk sheets, still in her silk gown. Her skin still tingled from the Joined Climax she had enjoyed with the Doctor hours before.

She rose up and looked around the room. She could smell the steamy aroma coming from the shower that told her that the Doctor had just gotten out of it. She lay back in the pillows and listened to his voice.

Xxxxx

The Doctor stood in front of the bathroom mirror. He was wearing his jeans, but hadn't put on a shirt or socks. His hair was still wet. Sam lay in a chair on the counter next to him. He kicked his legs and the chair bounced. He coo'ed.

"I'm trimming my beard. I have a date tonight with your mum." He told his son.

Sam giggled.

"Laugh if you like, son. But, I'm excited about it."

Sam laughed again.

"I'm not shaving the hair off of my face. Your mum likes it, even if you don't. I like it, too."

Sam said, "Ahhhhh."

"Well, I can put something on it to make it softer. Yeah. Alright. I'll do that. Your mum would probably prefer that, too."

Rose smiled and got out of the bed. She quietly walked over to the bathroom and leaned in the doorway. She smiled as she watched the Doctor take a towel and wipe off his face. Sam coo'ed at him again. He tossed the towel on the sink, leaned down and kissed Sam's cheek.

"Oh, I love this boy! And my lips are stuck to his cheek!" he playfully told Sam.

Sam laughed loudly as his Daddy continued to kiss him.

The Doctor stood back up and looked in the mirror at his beard. He saw Rose out of the corner of his eye. "Oh, hey! I'm sorry, did we wake you?"

Rose smiled, "No. I needed to get up. I won't sleep tonight if I don't."

Rose walked over to him and kissed his lips quickly. "Your eye looks a lot better."

He rubbed where it had been bruised so badly. "Yeah. Well, keep that in mind. I need to tell you something and you might want to hit me."

Rose crossed her arms. "What have you done now?"

"Umm…. Well." He looked back at Sam and put his hand on his chest. "Sam, how do I put this?"

Sam coo'ed at him.

"Right, just tell her. Right."

Rose smiled. "Good advice, Sam. Just tell me."

"Alright. Well, Poltious is a hell of a pilot. I've wanted to fly with him for a while. After we cloned the house, we dropped the children off and ummm…. went out to the lane and raced a Caksy Cruiser. Oh, it was brilliant."

Rose giggled at him. "I can feel how excited you still are about this."

He smiled. "Oh, it was great! Poltious looped Legate's ship around Saturn. We probably were pulling….. 22g's. I nearly blacked out. It was brilliant!"

Rose laughed as she watched him bounce on his feet as he told her of their adventures. "22? The human body can only withstand 16."

He looked seriously at her and put his hands on his hips. "How the hell do you know that?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I trained agents at Torchwood. It was a question one of them asked once and I had to look it up."

He looked impressed. "Really?"

Rose smiled, "Okay, so I attended a lecture about plasma accelerators at Berkley a couple of years ago. It was brought up."

The Doctor covered his face and bit his lip. "Sam. Your mum is so amazing. If you weren't in this room, son….. ugh. I believe she does this to me on purpose."

Rose laughed as she walked over and turned on the shower. "I'm going to shower. We're still on for our date tonight, right?"

He stood and watched her take off her gown. He covered Sam's eyes and he rubbed his own beard and watched her. "Oh wow. Nevermind, what Daddy is looking at, Sam."

Rose laughed at him as she closed the shower door. He could see her silhouette through the frosted doors.

"So, you aren't cross about this racing? Lewis is sure you will be. Bets have been placed."

Rose laughed, "No. I wish I had gone with you."

He smiled and nodded his head. "See Sam. What did I tell you? She's amazing. Lewis is overly cautious."

Rose's voice came out from the shower. "I do have one question though."

He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. "I doubt it's one."

"You dropped the children off?"

He nodded his head. "Correct."

"So, you knew it was dangerous?"

"Ummm….. going down a road I'm worried about now." He pointed out.

Rose laughed, "I don't think I want to know anything else about this. I don't want to be that sort of wife that demands you can't do certain things that you enjoy. I mean, I would have done it. Would you have been cross with me?"

He rubbed his chin. "Umm… probably."

"Then are you saying I should be cross with you?" Rose asked.

"Ummm… I don't know. Can I have a think on this and get back to you?"

"Geez. What are you so worried about?" Rose demanded.

"A Tyler Punch. My eye is just beginning to look normal again." He answered seriously. It caused Rose to laugh.

"Baby, I'm not going to punch you."

He turned, pointed towards the shower and spoke to Sam. "See, that's what she says now. She just doesn't want you to see her get violent with me."

"Oh, shut up." Rose giggled.

Sam coo'ed.

"Ah, maybe you're right." The Doctor agreed.

Rose giggled, "Are you agreeing with me or Sam?"

"Both. He says that I should listen to you."

Rose nodded her head. "Good advice, Sam."

The Doctor smiled proudly back at Sam. "Yeah, he has a good head on his shoulders."

"Better than his Daddy's." Rose teased.

"Without question." The Doctor agreed as he picked up Sam and cradled him in his arms. "Rose, I'm going to put on a shirt, and then we're going downstairs. We'll leave right after the game. Is that alright?"

"That's fine. What should I wear?" Rose asked.

"Casual. Just be comfortable. Warm though. Think, early morning, ocean. Wind blowing in your face. That's all the information you are getting from me."

"Speaking of ocean, which one is outside?" Rose asked.

He smiled, "The Atlantic. This is the new house. We're in the same time zone with London now. Sleeping problems hopefully will be a thing of the past."

Rose giggled, "I would like something from you at some point."

He smiled, "What is that?"

"A tour of our house. I have never seen it all." Rose told him.

He looked surprised, "You haven't? Really? How is that possible?"

She laughed, "I believe I was busy having a baby. Then my Doctor wouldn't let me walk down steps. Then, we went out of town….."

"Alright. I'll give you the full tour. But, not tonight. Different plans. Tour will be tomorrow. I'll be home all day. That will happen." He quickly started kissing Sam as he walked out of the room before Rose could ask him any questions as to why he was going to be home all day.

XxxxxXXxxxxxxx


	58. Chapter 58 – The Game

XxxxxXXxxxxxxx

Chapter 58 – The Game

Rose walked downstairs to the sitting room. She was wearing jeans and a light blue blouse. The game was already well underway. She saw most of the Quauhtin, Tony Tyler, and the Doctor watching on the projection that appeared on the wall. The players appeared to be life sized.

Pete sat at the bar watching the game, with Genie and Jacob. They were all eating the small meat pies that were laid out in an impressive spread. As soon as Genie saw her, she jumped off of the bar stool and ran over to her. "Mummy! Daddy said you were awake."

Rose picked her up and kissed her. "What are you eating?"

"Football food. That's what Grandfather calls it."

Pete held up a small meat pie in his hand. "These are the best I've ever had. Arla got them from someplace."

Rose sat Genie down just as the men watching the game let out a loud cheer. Pete laughed as he wiped his hands on a napkin. "Tony is so excited. I'm worried he's going to shake your husband's brain out of his head."

Rose looked to see Tony gripping the Doctor's shirt tightly. He shook him violently when he would shout at the screen. The Doctor stood up and flipped him over his shoulder. He carried him into the kitchen to the bar. Tony shouted. "John! Let me down!"

The Doctor smiled at Rose. "Hi. I didn't hear you come down."

Rose smiled at him as he leaned in to kiss her quickly. Tony was appalled. "Gross! And now I have to see kissing. Dad! Help me!"

Pete laughed, "You got yourself in that situation, son. You know how your brother is."

Genie stood up on her knees in the chair. "Daddy. We are bored."

"Bored? Is that what you said?" He asked her.

Genie shook her head. "No. I didn't mean that word, Daddy-"

"I love hearing children are bored! I can give you something to do!" The Doctor smiled back at her.

Genie shook her head. "Hang on. Wait a minute. That's not the word I meant to use-"

He sat Tony down. "Bored. I heard it. My daughter thinks I'm a cruise director."

Genie was already out of the chair. "Nope. Daddy. That's not what I meant to say. Jacob and I are going downstairs to play. We're fine-"

"No, you said you were bored." He told them as he picked up a meat pie.

Genie and Jacob ran out of the room.

Pete laughed, "What were you going to make them do?"

Rose laughed, "Whenever Genie tells him she's bored he makes her do schoolwork, clean the house or something like that."

He nodded his head. "I didn't have anything she could do at the moment. I imagine I could have had her sweep the floor in here."

Pete laughed, "That's clever."

Tony ran back and jumped on the sofa to watch the game. Poltoius saw him and put his arm around the small boy.

Rose looked around. "Where is Sam?"

Pete pointed up, "Upstairs. Jacks just took him up."

Jack and Jake popped in. Jake had an envelope in his hands.

Pete noticed, "What do you have there?"

Jake smiled proudly and handed it to Rose. "Ashena's papers. Did them myself."

Rose smiled, "Thank you, Jake."

The Doctor looked around. "Where is she?"

Jack laughed as he picked up a meat pie. "With Logan. Where else?"

Jake chuckled, "Are they dating now?"

The Doctor growled. "They better not be."

Rose rolled her eyes. "They are of age. Let them have their fun."

"Ugh. They better not be having….. fun." He complained.

Jack smiled at his reaction. "Have you seen them? They are cute together."

"Not helping." He pointed forcefully at Jack.

Rose covered her mouth and giggled.

Pete laughed, "What is that about?"

Jake smiled, "Apparently there is a thing about royalty not dating anyone but royalty where she's from."

The Doctor continued. "Her father will return to check on her and be proper pissed if she's dating Logan. Oh. Alright. Legate says he's with them. I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to watch the game." He growled and walked away.

Jack leaned over and said quietly, "$100 says Legate is all by himself at Space Traffic Control. Who's in?"

Pete smiled. "I'll get in on that. I think he's honest. Couldn't the Doctor tell anyway?"

Rose smiled, "He can't tell that. Genie could."

Jake shook his head. "Legate is an honest man, but he's also best mates with Logan. He's going to lie for him. I say he's alone."

Rose smiled and shook her head. "I'm with them, Dad."

Pete rubbed his face. "Jake. Pop over and see who's right."

Jake smiled. "With pleasure." He popped away.

Genie ran back into the room. "Grandfather! I didn't tell you! Guess where I went today?"

He smiled at her. "I have no idea, sweet girl. Where did you go?"

"Disneyworld! My Tony took me!" Genie beamed.

Pete raised his eyebrows. "Really? Tony Stark?"

Genie shrugged her shoulders. "Who else? I lost my Goofy doll they gave me when Daddy took us. So, Tony took me to get another one today. Wasn't that nice?"

Pete smiled, "That was very nice. I'll have to call and thank him later."

"Get him to tell you about the coaster! It was so much fun! It went really fast! I helped him fix it so we could ride it over and over. Daddy told me not to let him ride anything that would get him excited, but he told me he would stay calm."

Rose laughed quietly and covered her face. "Oh, Genie. Oh wow."

Genie smiled, "I'm going back downstairs with Jacob."

Pete smiled and watched her as she ran off. "Now I know why he wasn't at the debriefing. And damn that Director Smith knew it, too. I'm going to kick his ass."

Jake popped back with a huge smile on his face. "And…?"

Rose laughed, "Who was right?"

Jake laughed as he grabbed another meat pie. "We were. Pete loses. He didn't see me. He was sitting in the room, watching the game, all alone. Logan and Ashena are nowhere to be seen. Ooooooo! I love it when I'm right!"

Rose covered her mouth. "Oh my God. Do not tell him. He will be so pissed."

Pete groaned as he opened his wallet and paid each of them $100 each. "Damn it. Hanging around these Quauhtin has made me want to bet on everything."

Rose looked over at Jack, "You're being very quiet."

He looked at her, "I'm sorry, I'm watching the game. What did I miss?"

The room erupted in groans. Tony threw his hands out. "What the hell was that?"

Pete yelled across the room, "Tony! Language."

Pete heard Tony's voice. "Aww! John! Don't thump me in the head!"

"Then don't swear. It's that simple!" he told him.

Pete rolled his eyes. "He's gotten bad about that. Thank God Jacks hasn't heard him. What would she say?"

Rose smiled, "I know that one. Once, she caught me swearing. She made me sit in chair with a bar of soap in my mouth. Oh, it was terrible. Blah."

Pete laughed, "Did she really? How old were you?"

Rose shook her head, "I'm not sure. A bit older than Tony. Maybe the same age. I barely remember it. Mickey's grandmother used to slap him. Hard."

Pete chuckled, "Maybe it's an age thing with the Tyler children."

Jake suddenly remembered. "Oh! Director Tyler. Your package, sir." He reached into his jacket and handed him an envelope.

"What is this?" Pete asked as he opened the end of it and looked inside. He saw all of the watches. "Oh. I'll give this to the Doctor. I don't want to keep up with it. Are they all there?"

Jake nodded his head. "Yes. I counted them three times."

Rose sipped her soda. "What is it, Dad?"

"The watches from the agents at Torchwood. Until we get everything sorted out, I'm not comfortable with anyone using them." He told her.

Rose nodded, "I think that's a very good idea. It makes me feel better to know that. I've been thinking, should we talk to Tony about making all of the guys bracelets like the Doctor and I have?"

Pete smiled, "You do have a bracelet like his. He told me that today."

Rose smiled and held out her wrist to show him the thin bracelet. "Yes. It's a tiny thing. I've worn it for weeks. I don't even notice it anymore."

Pete laughed in relief as he looked at it. "That makes me feel better knowing you have that. What all does it have?"

Rose tapped it. "I really don't even know. I use it mostly to check my e-mail, messages, calendar, summon Friday with. It's convenient. I really like it."

"You don't use it to chat on the phone?" Pete asked.

"Nah, I prefer to use the phone still for that." Rose smiled.

Jack took another meat pie. "These are really good. Where did they come from?"

Pete nodded as he took another one. "Arla got them someplace."

Rose sat down her meat pie. "I'm sorry. Sam needs a bigger bottle. I'll take one up to mum." They watched as Rose walked over to the food replicator and asked for a bottle. The Doctor walked over to the bar.

"Rose?"

Pete pointed at her.

"Ah. Cheers, Pete." He said as he walked over to her.

Pete smiled and shook his head in disbelief. "How do they do that?"

Jack sipped his beer and explained as he watched the game. "They are joined. All three of them. They can sense when he's unhappy, or hungry, hurt. Anything like that. It's part of a marriage bond."

Pete nodded, "He had explained that, but not explained that."

Jake laughed, "Like most things with him."

They watched as Rose walked out of the room with a bottle. The Doctor walked back to the bar and took another meat pie. "I've got to stop eating these. I have a date later with Rose, and I'm going to be sick."

Jack smiled, "Oh yeah, what are you doing?"

"Not saying. It's a surprise." He teased Jack.

Jack looked back at the game. "I still say you are lying about earlier. That doesn't happen. It's a myth."

The Doctor groaned. "I'm not talking that with my father in law sitting here."

Pete looked at both of them. "I have no idea what you two are on about, but I'm sure I don't want to know."

"You don't." The Doctor insisted. He pointed at Jack. "But, I'll point this out. That happened five hours ago. What has Rose been doing since then?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea."

"Sleeping. Think about that." He insisted.

Jack looked back at him. "Damn. You just suck, man."

The Doctor laughed, "Ha! Told you."

Pete shook his head. "I really don't want to know about this. Anyway. What did you find out from the damn dentist?"

Jack shook his head and continued to watch the game. "Another dead end."

Jake sighed, "That Rixalarian you have, what is her name?"

Pete smiled, "Pat."

Jack looked surprised, "That's not a Rixalarian name."

The Doctor explained, "It's short for Patusudeo."

Jack nodded, "That's very Rixalarian. Yes."

Pete looked back at the Doctor. "That's what our Genie is, right?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yes. Halfway."

Pete nodded.

The Doctor ate another meat pie. "Pat couldn't get anything out of him?"

Jake shook his head. "Seems to be a victim in this. They took him… threatened to kill him if he didn't pull each one of their GPS'ed tooth out."

Pete shook his head. "Well, maybe he is."

"Nah… I don't believe it. They have killed everyone but him. There's more to that." The Doctor said as he looked back at the game. "But, I did get confirmation. Hammer is part of the crater. I can't wait to tell Tony when I see him in a bit. In fact…." The Doctor tapped his bracelet and typed in a message.

Pete shook his head, "I thought you were going on a date with Rose?"

He smiled, "I am."

Jake looked curiously, "Why are you seeing Tony, then?"

Jack sipped his beer. "Probably taking his suit out for a spin. I would love to do that."

"Nah. I'm about seven inches taller than he is. I can't fit in it."

Jake smiled, "You should get him to make you one. That thing is badass."

The Doctor shook his head. "He offered. I don't want one. Too much like a gun. I'd never use it."

Jake held out his hands, "Even to fly? That would be ace. I would love that."

"Let's get him to make you one then, Jake. You like to shoot. You would be perfect for that." He insisted.

Jake chuckled, "Oh, I would love that shit. Except. Well, that wouldn't work."

The Doctor looked surprised, "What? Why?"

Pete chuckled, "You still haven't sorted that out? He's afraid of heights."

Jake held out his hands. "A lot of people are. It doesn't affect my job."

Pete laughed proudly, "That it doesn't."

Jack looked surprised at him. "You're afraid of heights? I didn't know that, man."

Jake rubbed his face. "Oh God. What sort of shit are you going to do to me now?"

Jack looked serious. "Nothing. I just didn't know. You know what? I'm finally putting something together in my head. Mickey, I knew him for years after he left here and went back to the Prime Dimension. He always read Shakespeare. Everyone of these Quauthin are named something similar to a Shakespearean character, aren't they?"

Pete turned around and looked at Jack. "I didn't know you knew him."

Jack nodded his head. "Yeah. Hell of an agent. Married another agent of mine. They were amazing together. But, anyway. I'm right aren't I?"

The Doctor thought, "Yeah. Everyone of them."

Jack nodded his head. "Right. He told me once it reminded him of here. When he missed everyone, he would read Shakespeare. I suppose it was because of the names."

Pete nodded his head. "I guess it was."

The Doctor's bracelet lit up. He looked down at the message and nodded his head.

Rose walked back into the kitchen. "Alright. Sam is officially on an 8 oz. bottle. That child can eat. Good grief!"

Pete chuckled proudly, "Must be growing."

The Doctor held out his hand and she walked over to him. He pulled her close as he sat in the barstool and kissed her cheek. "I think this game is already won, if you want to go ahead and go out."

Rose smiled, "You would leave your game for our date?"

He smiled, "Of course I would. I can't keep my focus on it anyway. I just want to look at you."

Rose smiled, "That's sweet."

Jake smiled, "That is sweet." He punched Jack in the shoulder. "Dude. Why don't you say stuff to me like that?"

Jack looked away from the game and teased. "Because there is a game on! The hell?"

Pete, the Doctor and Rose laughed.

Jack pointed at the Doctor. "You want me to act as disgusting as him? I could do it."

Jake didn't have time for a reply. Jack grabbed him quickly and kissed him. "Jake, I can't keep my eyes off of you. This game is great, but you are so much better."

Jake pushed Jack off of him and laughed. "Forget I said anything. My God."

Rose stood up and laughed with Pete and the Doctor. "I'll go upstairs and get my trainers."

"No heals. Just trainers. Yes. Comfortable. Could you get my jacket?" He asked.

"Sure. Do I need one?"

"Probably. Go ahead and bring one."

Rose smiled and walked away. Pete sipped his drink. "I'll see that Genie gets to bed in a bit."

The Doctor smiled. "Thanks. I've already told her we were leaving for a bit tonight. She shouldn't give you any problem. She might want you to read some of the Harry Potter book to her."

Pete shook his head. "That is the strangest book ever. I can't believe it's getting so damn popular. Everyone is reading that."

Jack asked, "What? Harry Potter? Is that here?"

The Doctor smiled. "Yeah. It just came out."

Jack smiled, "Hell yeah! Those books are the shit! Jake. Have you read them?"

Jake shook his head. "Nah, man."

"We'll go pick them up. They are brilliant."

"Oh! Your watches." Pete handed the Doctor the envelope full of watches.

"Oh. Good. All of them here, Jake?"

Jake nodded his head. "Yep. I have a thought. Could that dentist be a non-human?"

Pete looked back at him. "Why?"

"Well, Rixalarians can usually sense when they are being lied to. What if the dentist was something where Pat couldn't tell?"

"Like a telepath?" The Doctor asked.

"Like anything like that. Just a species like that. What if had been someone like that all along? A sleeper inside of Torchwood?"

Pete rubbed his forehead. "This mess has me seeing enemies in my sleep. Check on it, Jake. That's a good idea."

Rose returned right as all of the guys stood up and cheered again. She brought the Doctor his jacket and he slipped it on.

Rose turned to Pete and smiled. "I'm going on a date. Try not to call him away."

Pete smiled. "Have a good time, honey. Jacks and I are staying here tonight with the children. Don't worry about any of them. It's not been that long since I had to change a nappy. I still remember how to do it."

Rose smiled and kissed his cheek. The Doctor took her hand and they popped away.

Jake rubbed his chin. "We should bet on where they went."

Pete laughed, "I was thinking the same thing. These Quauhtin have warped our brains."

XxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxx


	59. Chapter 59 - Toddler Rings

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Chapter 59 - Toddler Rings

Rose and the Doctor popped into the sitting room of Tony Stark's home in Malibu, California. He sat at the baby grand piano playing Moonlight Sonata. He was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt. He didn't look up. "Most people knock."

"I texted. That's what I always do. These are the numbers you just gave me." The Doctor defended himself.

Tony laughed quietly as he continued to play.

Rose looked around the room. The sun was just beginning to come up outside. "What time is it here?"

"5:32 am." Tony told them as he continued to play.

Rose covered her mouth. "I'm sorry, why did we pop over here so early in the morning?"

Tony shook his head and laughed. "I don't sleep much. John knows this. He comes over for coffee some mornings. I'm usually up by 4:45. I play a bit and then go work on something."

The Doctor rubbed his beard, "How was your date with Pepper?"

"She is upstairs. My playing helps her sleep. As long as I play stuff like this, and not jazz tunes."

Rose smiled, "You play beautifully."

He ended the song and smiled. "Classical education. It makes you crazy. You get a song in your head, and you can't get it out until you play it. Gene says she does the same thing."

The Doctor smiled, "And she's getting a classical education. How about that?"

Tony stood up and smiled. "Memorization. Oh yes. She's told me all about it. Come on. It's down in the shop."

Tony led them down to this workshop. As he pressed the keypad on the door and opened it, he held up his hand to stop them from entering. "Jarvis. This is Rose Tyler, umm. I mean Rose Smith. She has full access."

Jarvis' voice came over the speaker. "Yes, sir. Let me turn on some lights."

"That's a good idea." Tony agreed as he motioned for them to come in the room. He walked over to the large desk and opened the top drawer. "Which one do you want? All of the keys are in here if you ever want one and I'm not here. Just help yourself, man."

"We're going up the Pacific Highway. Along the coast." He told him.

Tony nodded. "Right. The convertible then."

The Doctor watched Rose. She was looking around at all of the suits and things Tony was working on. She looked back at the Doctor. "This looks like your workshop. Except it…."

He smiled, "What?"

"It's a lot cleaner." Rose giggled.

Tony laughed as he walked around and handed the Doctor the keys. "The R8 Spyder. The white one over there. It has a V10 in it and sits low. It's fun to drive. Better than the Porsche 997, even if it is heavier. Let me know what you think."

The Doctor nodded. "Right. Thanks."

Tony smiled, "Take your time, man. I don't need it back anytime soon. When you come back, ask Jarvis to open the garage door for you. He won't give you any problem."

Rose looked surprised. "Hang on. We're borrowing a car from Tony?"

The Doctor nodded. "Yeah. Oh, MI6 made positive ID on Hammer. He was in the crater."

Tony celebrated, "That is fantastic news. Don't even worry about giving me a Christmas gift." Tony insisted.

The Doctor rolled his eyes as he walked towards the car. "We'll chat more later."

Tony nodded. "Right. Have fun, kids."

He walked back out of the workshop and up the stairs as the Doctor held the door open on the car for Rose, then walked around to driver's seat and sat down. He started the car and the purr of the engine made him smile. "Oh. I really like this car." He pressed a button and the top opened.

Rose smiled at him as she put her hair up behind her head. "This is the oddest thing."

He looked back at her. "What?"

"You. Driving a car." Rose smiled.

"You've seen me drive a car before. I drove yours."

Rose shook her head. "I miss that car. That was one of the first things I got when I came here."

The Doctor slowly drove out of the tunnel and down the driveway. The sun had started to come up and everything around them had an orange tint to it from the sun. The Doctor reached in his pocket and pulled out his sunglasses. "California sun. Damn."

Rose giggled at him. "I love it."

He stopped at the end of the driveway and thought. "Right. To the right is what Tony said."

Rose teased. "They drive on the wrong side of the road here. Don't kill us."

He chuckled. "I've driven outside of England before."

Rose smiled at him. "Really? How many times have you done that?"

He sighed, "I don't even know."

Rose giggled at him. He worked through the gears and turned onto the Pacific Highway. The purr of the engine behind them was loud. "I love the sound of that engine. That's just…..ohh…. fantastic."

Rose smiled at him. "You are such a guy. I had no idea you liked cars so much."

"I've learned to appreciate the small things in life. Life on the slow path has done that to me."

"See, and I was worried about you. You're doing just fine." Rose smiled.

He settled in and took Rose's hand in his. "You worry too much about me. I've taken care of myself for centuries, Rose. You don't let me worry enough about you. That's what this date is about. We're not going to talk about me at all. It's all about you."

Rose looked confused. "You know everything about me."

He bit his lip, "I don't think I do. Actually, I know I don't."

Rose shrugged her shoulders. "What is there to know?"

"Tell me something you miss about the Prime Dimension."

She sighed, "Privacy. Being able to just….go someplace without people recognizing me. Just being me. Not Rose Tyler."

He teased her, "But, you are Rose Tyler."

"You know what I mean."

He smiled, "I do. What else do you miss? Tell me everything."

She sighed, "You are really on about this."

"I'm just making conversation. Do you want to talk about something else?"

"No, this is alright." Rose told him.

"Alright. I'll name something. I miss the way Earth tasted. This Earth is more…. hmm… aluminum tasting. It's strange. I think it's from all of the damn Zeppelins. That's another thing I miss. Not seeing damn Zeppelins. Ugh. I hate those damn things."

Rose laughed, "You and the Zeppelins. Yes. I'd have to admit that, too. I miss airplanes, not that I ever flew on one. Did you?"

"Oh, sure. I even flew one, and that ended. Badly. Daleks were involved. They attacked the damn plane I was flying. I've always wondered if it was me, or them. I think it was them. Yeah, it had to be them. I should know how to fly a plane."

Rose giggled, "I've never heard about this. When was this?"

He held her hand tighter as he drove down the road. "I don't remember. My fourth reincarnation or maybe my fifth. Then in 1966, a small plane nearly ran into the TARDIS near Alaska. That was my fault. And then when I was working for UNIT, with the Brigadier, we sent out some RAF planes to destroy a Krynoid that was destroying a house. Huh. I've never thought about it. Maybe it's a good thing there's not planes in this Dimension. I've never had much luck with them, either."

Rose smiled. "What is a Krynoid?"

"A really big carnivorous plant. A galactic weed. On every planet where the Krynoid took root, all animal life would become extinct. Krynoids desired that all plants should win against the animals that ate them."

"Alright, that's terrifying. So they were intelligent?"

"Yeah, they could even speak. But, we wasn't going to talk about me…or weeds from space. We're talking about you."

"Ugh." Rose groaned and laid her head back on the headrest. "About me. Okay. Where are you taking me?"

He smiled, "That is a surprise."

Rose laid her other hand on top of his and looked out at the ocean. "This is beautiful."

He took off his sunglasses and handed them to her. "Do you need these?"

She smiled, "No."

"Sure? I can see without them."

Rose smiled and took them. "Alright. It will keep my hair out of my eyes." She put them on. "Oh, wow. That's so much better. Are you alright? You're driving. Don't you need these?"

"I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Anyway. Your car. You got that when you first got here."

Rose smiled as she held his hand. "I did. I always wanted a car. Dad wanted to buy it for me, but I insisted that I wanted to pay for it myself."

The Doctor nodded his head. "When did you get it?"

"I don't remember. Maybe after that first year. It was nice to just….drive away from my problems."

He chuckled, "Wandering off with wheels. Oh yes. I can see where you would have loved that."

Rose rolled her eyes at him. "Mum hated it. She always insisted I take Mickey or Jake with me when I went on a wander."

He smiled, "I can agree with Jackie Tyler on that."

Rose rolled her eyes. "You and mum agreeing on something. That's frightening."

"To no one more than I." He insisted.

Rose giggled.

"Do you want another car?" he asked her.

Rose shook her head. "No. I'd never use it. We live on an island and we usually just pop wherever we are going. I'm alright."

He looked seriously at her. "Are you certain?"

Rose giggled as he looked back at the ocean. "I really am. I don't need a car. This is so beautiful."

He glanced over at the ocean. "Yeah, Lewis has learned to surf. So he is going to teach me how. I'm looking forward to that."

Rose laughed. "You surfing? I'm going to take pictures of that."

He kissed her hand. "Take plenty of when I fall. It will be humbling I'm sure."

Rose's phone rang. She let go of the Doctor's hand and answered it. Pete was on the other end of the call. "I'm sorry to bother you two, but Genie wanted to say good night. I'm just putting her to bed."

Pete handed the phone to Genie. Rose pressed the button on her phone so her voice would come through the speaker. Genie spoke, "Mummy. Grandfather says I have to go to bed."

The Doctor pulled the car over on the side of the road and turned off the engine. Rose looked curiously at him. "She can't hear us with the wind blowing. I don't want to put the top up."

Rose smiled, "Genie. It's late there. Go on to bed."

"You didn't tell me bye before you left." Genie insisted.

The Doctor rubbed his face. "Ugh. You're right, my child, we didn't. You have such rotten luck having us for parents. We're terrible. Awful. Ridiculous."

Rose hit his shoulder playfully. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you bye. We'll be back later tonight and I'll check in on you."

The Doctor looked at Rose. "Didn't she take a nap when she came back with Tony this afternoon?"

"It wasn't long. Tony and Jacob woke her up."

"A power nap! That's what we are dealing with. My Sara Gene, you are exhausted. I need you to go to sleep so you can help me with something in the morning."

"What are we doing?" Genie asked.

"We are going to teach Logan how to fight. Do you think you know how to fight well enough to teach someone?"

"Oh, I'm sure I do. I'm really good at that high kick now, Daddy!"

Rose looked surprised. "What is she talking about?"

"You need to show your mum your high kick. Is it ready for that yet?" he asked her.

"Hmmm…..maybe. Let me practice it some more and get back to you on that."

"Alright. You're the boss." He smiled. "Okay. So, if you are getting up to help me with Logan, you need to get to sleep now. I'll wake you up in the morning."

"Daddy."

"Yes, my dear."

"Are you safe? The bad people aren't going to get you again, are they?"

He smiled, "No sweetheart. They aren't. I'm not fighting any monsters tonight. I have your mum with me to keep me safe and out of trouble. Don't worry about me. I'll be back with your mum in a little while. Hey Genie."

"What?"

"If they lined up every little girl in the entire universe, which one would I pick to be mine?" he asked her. Rose smiled proudly.

Genie giggled, "Me. I know, Daddy. I love you, too. Good night."

He smiled, "Good night. Stop giving your Grandfather a hard time and go to bed."

Rose laughed, "Good night, Genie."

Genie handed the phone back to Pete. "Alright, we're going to bed now. Real quick, the guys wondered where you went."

The Doctor bit his lip. "They have a bet on it. Lewis has been asking me."

Pete chuckled, "Right. Tell me if I won some money. Where did you go?"

The Doctor smiled as he looked at Rose. "What did you guess, Pete?"

"Honestly? I said Disneyworld. Genie's been telling me all about her Tony taking here there today."

The Doctor shook his head and punched the steering wheel quietly. "Damn it." He whispered.

Pete's voice laughed through the phone. "Rose. Take a picture of his reaction to that."

Rose giggled, "Oh, I wouldn't dare."

"Ratted out by a toddler." The Doctor complained. He turned back on the car and pulled out on the highway as Rose ended the phone call.

XxxxXxxxxxXxxxxx


	60. Chapter 60 – The Hotel

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Chapter 60 – The Hotel

The Doctor drove the car through a town. Rose looked around and smiled, "Where are we?"

"Santa Monica. There's a place I wanted to take you to." He told her as he kissed her hand.

He drove up to a large, fancy hotel and a man quickly came out to take the car. "Mr. Stark! Oh, my apologies. I recognized the car."

The Doctor laughed as he got out and handed the man the keys, "Tony loaned it to me. Honest mistake."

Another man had opened the door for Rose. "Welcome to Santa Monica, Doctor Smith."

Rose smiled as the Doctor walked around and took her hand. They held hands as they walked through the front doors. The owner of the hotel rushed to meet them as they walked into the lobby. They seemed to have gotten there before any other guests had woke up, or arrived.

The Doctor leaned over and whispered to Rose. "Okay, yes. It's a hotel. But, it's not what you think."

Rose covered her mouth and giggled.

The owner of the hotel met them and shook the Doctor's hand. "Doctor Johnathon Smith. It is a pleasure to have you here. And Mrs. Rose Tyler….ummm…. Smith. Sorry, ma'am."

Rose smiled. "It's alright. I'm still getting used to it myself."

"Indeed." The owner smiled. "Well, Mr. Stark has already called and everything has been arranged. I'll show you up to your room." They followed him to the lift where he told the lift operator simply, "Penthouse."

Rose turned to look at the Doctor. She lifted her eyebrows to show she was impressed. He laughed quietly at her as he mouthed, "It's not what you think."

The lift operator nodded and the lift sprang to life.

"Thank you. We'd like to keep it quiet that we are here, if that's possible." The Doctor insisted.

"Of course, sir. Don't worry. Mr. Stark is one of our best clients. He was insistent on your privacy. And do not worry about the recent violence. Not everyone feels that way about Mrs. Tyler. Ummm…Sorry. Mrs. Smith."

Rose shook her head and smiled as she looked around. The Doctor rocked on his feet as the lift took them up.

Finally, the lift dinged and the doors opened. The owner showed them out and then went to open the Penthouse's door. He held it open and the Doctor and Rose walked inside. "There is a full menu there on the table, room service will bring you anything on it. Please, make yourself at home and if you need anything at all, just ring downstairs."

He handed the Doctor the key and smiled as he walked out of the room and shut the door. Rose smiled at the Doctor who was looking around the room. "A hotel room?"

He held out his hand. "Really. Not what you think. Well…. It could be. But, that was not my intentions."

Rose put her hand on her hip and pointed at him. "You told me once that getting my clothes off was always the first thing on your mind."

He chuckled as he took out his sonic screwdriver and scanned the room. "Oh, woman. If you only knew how much sex I have with you in my mind."

Rose rolled her eyes.

The room was large and bright with the morning sun coming through the windows. The sitting room had a large sofa and sitting area that surrounded a flat screen telly on the wall. To the left was a small table with six chairs. In the middle of the table sat a huge bouquet of flowers. Rose looked to see the balcony that overlooked the ocean at the end of the room. They were very high up and the view was stunning, even with the Zeppelins passing by. To the right of the sitting room, doors lead into a bedroom with a large bed and bathroom. All of the floors had lovely, white carpet which only seemed to make the room brighter. The walls were painted a very, light blue. Everything in the room seemed to promote relaxing.

He put his screwdriver back in his pocket and clapped his hands. He opened the doors to the balcony to allow the ocean breeze to fill the room and spun around on his feet. "Alright. Why are we here? Simple. I wanted to take you out someplace where you could be comfortable. Someplace, just me and you. Someplace where people wouldn't be looking and pointing that Rose Tyler is sitting in the same place with them. Someplace, you could relax and not be around our rotten children….your family…..or a bunch of mad Quauhtin. So, we can order room service, relax, whatever. It's up to you. This is all about you."

Rose smiled. "That's why we are here?"

He smiled, "Yes. I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea. Well. No I'm not….. but, no pressure about that. Just relax. I wanted our first time out together here to be relaxing." He said as he took off his jacket and tossed it on the back of the sofa. He flopped down on the sofa and kicked off his shoes. "Makes the trials worth everything. No Quauthin. No tuxs within miles. Brilliant. Freedom."

Rose laughed as he walked over and sat down on the sofa next to him. He put his arm around her and kissed her head. "Just us. And if you want just some time to yourself, I'll be right here. You can, go wander off in another room or something."

Rose giggled in disbelief, "I can't believe you did this. Why didn't we just pop here?"

"Ah. I wanted to go for a drive. I thought that would make it more….. normal."

Rose nodded as she took off her shoes, "It did. I've not ridden in a car in ages."

"Strange isn't it?"

"It nearly made me motion sick." Rose told him.

He rubbed his face. "It might have been my driving. Sorry about that."

Rose stretched and lay down on the sofa. She put her feet in his lap. He took off her shoes and rubbed her feet. Rose smiled, "That feels nice. You don't have to do that."

He smiled, "I want to do it. Everything is about you. I can tell you like this."

Rose smiled, "I do. And you are so good at that."

"Okay, Rose questions. Would you rather endure childbirth or wear high heels for an entire day?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "I've not worn heels in forever."

He continued to rub her feet. "That wasn't the question."

"I'd probably wear heels. Granted, I wouldn't have anything to show for it."

He laughed, "Well, there's that."

"How long are we staying here?" Rose asked.

"As long as you like. Tony doesn't need his car back for days. It's whatever you would like to do. We can leave in ten minutes, or ten days. Completely up to you."

"You told Genie you would be back in the morning." Rose pointed out.

"I have backup to stay here with you if I need to go. I'll go do that, then I'll return. It's that simple."

Rose nodded her head. "I really don't think I want to stay longer than a few hours. I don't want to be away from Sam that long."

He smiled, "I knew that's what you would say."

She bit her lip. "I don't know. He's just so small. Is that normal?"

He smiled at her. "It's completely normal. You are an amazing mum. Just remember, sometimes you need time for yourself."

Rose groaned. "Ugh. Why do I think you are buttering me up for something? Are you about to go off on some terrible assignment?"

He smiled and shook his head. "I can honestly tell you I will not be getting any calls for any assignments anytime soon."

Rose sat up and looked at him. "What is that about? You said you are going to be home all day tomorrow. Why? That's odd."

"I am on hmm… what did he call it? I have to be cleared by the psychiatrist before Pete and Lewis will allow me back in the field."

"Both?"

"Both." He nodded as he continued to rub her feet.

Rose smiled. "Dad is making you go see a psychiatrist?"

"And Lewis has demanded it, too. Damn, Primus One. They think I'm going, and I'm not. Hey, your handwriting looks like Pete's. I could get the paperwork and you could sign them for me."

Rose laughed, "I'm not doing that. Hell no."

"What? Rose, really?" he asked.

"No, I'm not doing that. Then I would be in trouble. It's not a terrible thing. I went to see Melissa when I came back from assignments." Rose shrugged.

"Really. Everytime?"

"No. Not everytime. Well, when I was jumping between Dimensions, I did. Then, she helped me with my telepathy and such. If I didn't go see her and have her speak in my head, I had those terrible headaches."

"Oh, that's right. Yeah. You told me about that. Do you think she helped?"

"It was nice to have someone to talk to. Someone who wouldn't judge me. No matter what I told her. She was never shocked by it. She just patiently listened." Rose said.

He rubbed her leg, "You miss her. I can tell."

Rose shook her head. "I told her so much. I feel like…. She saw my soul, you know?"

He nodded, "Yeah. Did she ever talk to you?"

"No, I regret that. It was a very one-sided thing. I sometimes think back about it, and wonder if she thought I was completely mad. She must have."

"She couldn't have thought that. She gave you Genie. She knew you would take better care of her than anyone could."

Rose bit her lip and nodded. "I suppose. Do you know what I would like?"

He smiled as he looked at her. "What is that?"

"A massage. Would you give me one? Please." Rose asked.

He smiled like a loon. "Oh, I would love to. Do this first for me. Go take one of your hot showers. Just to warm up your muscles. It will help. And I'll order us some room service. What do want?"

Rose shook her head. "I have no idea."

He snapped his fingers. "I know what you would like. Don't worry about this. Go take your shower."

XxxxxxXxxx

Rose got out of the shower and put on a fluffy, white robe. She twisted up her hair on the back of head and walked out into sitting room. The Doctor stood at the table, eating ice cream out of a carton. He was talking in a strange language on his phone. She wrapped her arms around him as his cold lips kissed hers quietly. He continued to talk on the phone as he brought the spoon up to her mouth and fed her the last of the ice cream. After just a few moments, he said something she didn't understand and ended the phone call. "I'm sorry about that. Everyone is having problems."

He met her lips and kissed her quickly. She smiled, "It's alright. Do we need to go?"

He shook his head. "Nah. I told them it could wait. You have my complete, undivided attention." He put his phone in his pocket.

Rose smiled, "I love this."

He looked at the table. "I got us some champagne, the sort you like. Strawberries, in case you want them. And I know you like grapes. So, I got you some of them."

Rose smiled at him. "And ice cream?"

He ran his hand through his hair and chuckled. "I'm sorry, I ate the entire carton. I don't know what's the deal with that. I've been craving ice cream since we've been back. That's the second carton I've ate today."

Rose's eyes got huge. "The second? What the hell?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I have no idea. Lewis says it's because I'm not drinking. I have never heard of it. Whatever. I'm not worried about it. Besides. Ugh. That's about me. Rose. This is about you, not me. New plan. Next time you get me talking about me, you….ummmm…. have to kiss me. That's the penalty."

Rose rolled her eyes and ate a strawberry. "Then we're in trouble. You talk an awful lot."

He chuckled, "Oh, we are indeed. Oh! I forgot." He reached in his pockets, "I got you something today."

Rose watched him dig in his pockets. He pulled out a bag of Jelly Babies and groaned. "Ugh. Sorry. Thought that was them." He continued to pull things out of his pockets and put them on the table. Rose watched as he lay down a pack of gum, the envelope of watches from Jake, a remote control from a toy car, a yellow pad of sticky notes and a deck of cards.

Rose pointed at the deck of cards. "When did you start carrying these around in your pockets?"

He continued to pull things out, "Oh, I've had those for a while. I play poker with the guys sometimes. It's helpful. Oh! Found them."

He handed her the familiar red bag. "Revels."

Rose covered her mouth and smiled. "I love these. Where did you get them?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I went to the store. I've got several more in my pocket, but that's just the one I found."

Rose kissed him. "Thank you."

He smiled as he held her around the waist. "Happy to. Now. A massage for you." He said as he bopped her on the end of the nose with his finger.

Rose smiled as he led her into the bedroom. He pulled down the blankets and she lay down on the silk sheets. "Get comfortable, I'll go get the champagne."

Rose climbed in the bed and took off her robe. She covered herself up with the sheet. She lay there for a few minutes with her eyes shut and thought she might have drifted off when she felt lips kiss her forehead. She opened her eyes to see the Doctor opening a bottle of champagne with a loud pop. "And we are celebrating that we have cloned a house!" He laughed as he poured two glasses. He handed one to Rose and clanged her glass with his. Rose smiled and drank the glass. By the time she finished, he had sat down his empty glass on the table next to the bed. "And that's it for me. No more champagne tonight. You can have the rest of that bottle."

Rose looked surprised. "Are you certain?"

He sat on the side of the bed and looked at her. "I am. Rose. I'm….. umm…..." He stopped and pointed at her. "I'm not talking about me. You have to kiss me now."

Rose smiled as he leaned over and kissed her proper. He rose up, without opening his eyes and said, "Right. Umm. Yes. What was I doing?"

Rose laughed, "You were going to give me a massage."

He clapped his hands together. "Right. A massage. I need oil." He started to look for something in his pockets again.

Rose held out her hand. "No. Can you do it without oil? So, I'm not all …. Whatever."

He smiled at her. "Sure." He twirled his finger as he pointed at her. "On your stomach, I'm starting with your back."

Rose giggled as she rolled over and he took the sheet off of her. "Don't think you can control yourself if you start with the front?"

He chuckled. "Not talking about myself. Nope." He started to massage her neck and shoulders. Rose relaxed in his hands. "Is this alright? Without the oil?"

She smiled, "This is perfect."

He leaned down kissed her back. "I'm serious. No expectations. This is whatever you want." He insisted.

Rose smiled as closed her eyes. "This is the best date, ever."

He rubbed her back. "Sweetheart, you said you could talk to Melissa without feeling judged. Do you feel that I would judge you?"

Rose didn't open her eyes, "Well. No. It's just… ummm… there are things I'd rather not talk to you about."

"You do feel like I would judge you. I can feel that."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Invasion of feelings here. I'm going to start shielding you."

"You already are, I can tell. Besides, I don't need to even hear an answer to that. You've told me you feel that way. And I didn't listen. I need to work on that. I'm a terrible husband. I'm sorry about that."

Rose shook her head. "You are not a terrible husband-"

"Oh, yes I am. I've told you that since the very beginning of our relationship. I'm rubbish at this. You have to…..smack me or something."

Rose sat up and looked at him. She covered herself with the sheet. "You're getting close to that."

"Rose. You don't talk to me. About anything. You are always on about me talking to you and how you are there for me, but I don't think you realize I'm here for you."

Rose shook her head, "You know I can't talk to you about stuff-"

"Name one thing."

"Oh, I can name several."

"Okay, first thing."

"You, the other you. That pisses you off so bad. I can't even talk to you about that. You just…. Shut down."

He closed his eyes tightly and nodded, "Alright. You're right. That's true."

"You prefer to pretend he doesn't exist. That this entire thing is your fault alone. You carry that guilt all of the time."

"It is my fault! I've told you that. All of this-"

"No, it's not! And don't start apologizing for this mess again. I don't blame you for this. You didn't drop us both off here. You didn't leave you here to die. Just, oh. Don't even get me started on that mess."

He took her hand and kissed it, "I don't think I'm the only one pissed about that."

"Oh, I'm proper cross about it." Rose gritted her teeth.

He laughed under his breath. "Proper cross, huh? If he arrived right now in the TARDIS, what would you do?"

"I don't even know." She lay back on the pillows and looked at his face. "What the hell are you smiling about?"

He continued to laugh at her. "I'm sorry. You are so hot when you're pissed."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Oh, go to hell." She whispered.

He continued to laugh. "Okay, that's one thing. What's another thing?"

Rose sighed. "Any other guy. You are so incredibility jealous. I honestly had no idea you were this bad about that until we got married. Baby, I'm not running off with anyone. You can trust me about that."

"I know I can. It's just the way I think. Past, present, future. It's all the same to me."

"You are so strange."

He rubbed his face. "No. I'm making excuses. That's not right. No. You are right. I shouldn't be like that. I do trust you."

Rose looked surprised at him. "So, now you are arguing with yourself? Is that what you are doing?"

He ran his hand through his hair. "You miss Mickey. I can tell."

Rose laughed quietly, "Oh, that's a big one. I'm not talking to you at all about that. That's a great way to get you wound up."

He shook his head and looked at her seriously. "No. It won't. Sweetheart, you can talk to me about this. You miss him. You have to. You grew up together. You were here with him for so long. You never mention him."

Rose sighed and laid her head back. "You don't want me to talk about him."

"You need to talk about him."

"Mickey the Idiot?" Rose groaned.

"No. Mickey. The Boy who Grew Up. I've heard a lot about him today and damn. He ended up to be a hell of a guy. If I ever see him again, I'm going to shake his hand. I owe him more than I can ever repay."

Rose sat up and looked at him. "Alright. You are being weird. What are you on about?"

"People don't like to hear their faults, no one does. I'm the worse about that. Rose, you need to be able to talk to me about things. About anything. I'm realizing now I'm not created that comfort there for you. Help me work on that."

Rose raised her eyebrow at him, "So, you are giving me permission to smack you?"

He smiled, "Do you really need it?"

Rose rolled back over on her stomach. He leaned down and kissed her back, then started to massage her again. "Alright. What do you want to know about Mickey?"

"Whatever you want to talk about. Tell me about when you first came here. He had already been here for a while."

Rose spoke as he rubbed her back and arms. "Mickey decided to stay after the Cyber Invasion. He took on Ricky's life and just…. Became him. By the time I got here, he was completely different. He …. " She smiled proudly. "He was a bad ass. I saw him walk up to a Terileptils and punch him square in the face."

The Doctor's mouth fell open. "He did that to a Terileptils? Damn."

Rose giggled, "He did. I couldn't believe it."

"The word for war and beauty is the same in their language. Well, it is in Latin, too. A Terileptils takes that, very seriously."

Rose smiled, "They seemed to."

The Doctor's bracelet lit up. Friday's voice spoke, "You have a reminder."

The Doctor groaned and tapped his bracelet to see the reminder. It read, "At this point, you need to steer this conversation away from the subject of Mickey. Trust me on this."

Rose asked, "What did you need to be reminded about?"

Disarmed at getting a message from his future self, he rubbed his head. "Ah… it was a reminder to tell you about the damn psychiatrist."

He started to rub her lower back. She moaned, "I don't think that is a bad idea for you to go see the psychiatrist."

"Ha!" he exclaimed. "I live with a Rixalarian that I have to watch every word around. No."

"You hired this psychiatrist!"

He groaned, "Well, I didn't think I'd ever have to go see her. What's the worst that could happen? Pete says I'm not allowed back in the field until I go see her. Guess what? I wanted a holiday anyway."

He started to rub her bum. She rolled her eyes, "You are such a brat. I swear."

He continued to grumble. "He can handle these problems himself. I give him two days before he gets over this idea that I need to see a damn psychiatrist and asks me back."

Rose giggled as he started to rub her legs, "You remind me of you when we first met. Gosh, you were so….."

He smiled like a loon. "Charming?"

"Irritated. About everything."

He rolled his eyes as he rubbed her legs. "Irritated? Oh, that's not true."

Rose rolled over and propped her head up on her arm so she could see him better. "Oh you know it was. Don't even try."

He rubbed his beard as he looked at her nude body laid out in front of him.

She smiled at him. "I can sense that."

"What?"

"You can't think. Has your brain shorted out? It's like you are completely blank." Rose teased him.

He pointed at her, "Do you blame me? Have you seen you?"

Rose laughed, "I love you, too. You were giving me a massage." She reminded him as she lay back on the bed.

"Right. I forgot. Sorry." He shook his head as he started to rub her legs. "Ugh." He cleared his throat. "Irritated. That was your first impression of me?"

Rose smiled, "I owe you a kiss. You are talking about yourself."

He smiled as he rubbed her thighs, "I'll collect it when I get closer."

She smiled. "What was your first impression of me?"

"Hmmm…. My first impression of you. Alright. A lovely, young woman. Incredibility brave. Clever. Bold. You seemed to accept anything I told you. It was as if I had known you, forever already. I immediately trusted you, and I've never questioned myself as to why."

He rubbed her arms and hands. She watched him. "Do you think you could have known that I would one day be more than a companion? Maybe that's why you trusted me?"

He leaned down and kissed her quickly, "I've asked myself that several times. Our timelines were always close together. I couldn't see what happened to you, even from the very beginning. It was always strange. I just guessed you would…."

"Do something stupid and get killed?" Rose asked.

He sat back and looked at her, "Honestly? At first I did. Anytime I couldn't find you, I immediately went into a panic. I thought that was it."

Rose patted the pillow next to her. She turned on her side and he lay down to face her. "You seemed….hurt. In so much pain when I first met you. A man who had lost something. Something you couldn't even speak of. I assumed you had ended a relationship."

He smiled as he put his hand on her hip. "Gotten dumped, huh?"

She smiled at him, "That's how it seemed. You were keeping so busy trying to save the world, and you just seemed to fuss at me. I've been around guys when they have ended a relationship, and that's exactly how they are. Mickey was the worst. He broke up with this girl and was just a grouch for weeks. I finally ended up having to smack him and remind him that I was his friend and he needed to stop bitching at me."

He chuckled, "And then he asked you out."

She smiled, "Yes. He certainly did."

He stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You owe me a kiss. May I collect now?"

She smiled at him and whispered. "Of course you can."

He leaned in and kissed her slowly. She ran her hands up his t-shirt and rubbed his chest as he snogged her. Breathless, he looked at her. "Rose…."

She whispered, "You are wearing too many clothes."

He smiled at her, "I'm bleeding into you. I know I've said that to you before." He rose up and took off his shirt. He lay back down in front of her and she started to rub his chest again. "Better?"

Rose smiled at him, "It's a start."

He rolled his eyes at her. "It's whatever you want, Rose. It's all about you." He kissed her quickly.

"There is something I want to talk about. It has to do with you."

He rubbed his face and propped his head up on his fist. "You know the rules. That will cost you a kiss."

She smiled, "I'll gladly pay. Jake said you and Jack were tortured in that year that didn't happen-"

He shook his head. "You don't want to hear about that, Rose."

"No. You told me that was a Time Lord that was mad. He did terrible things, but you forgave him before he died. That story is full of holes and I want to understand."

"Understand what, exactly?"

"What happened. He was the only other Time Lord there was. How did he die? Did you kill him?"

He shook his head, "No. I couldn't have done that. I….ummm… no. I couldn't have hurt him."

Rose looked confused, "He tortured you. I can feel the pity you feel for him even now. How sad you are at the mention of him. How well did you know him?"

He rubbed his face, "Oh, I better get a really good kiss for this. I had known him since I was a small boy. We were at the Academy together. Sortof. He was a very good friend. We would run through the pastures of red grass at his father's estate. He had a place on the slopes of Mount Perdition. We would fall in the grass and look into the sky, just like we did the other night in your dream. Look at the sky and watch the clouds."

"When you are eight years old, you are taken for the initiation ceremony. You stand there and look into the Untempered Schism, which is a gap in the fabric of space and time. You can see the entire Vortex. Looking into it forces some to go mad, and he was one that did. He always claimed to hear drums in his head. Ah. I have no idea."

"When he stole the TARDIS and we caught up with him, he had put that sound into the Arch Angel network which everyone on Earth was linked into. So, they would tap the rhythm. Even Martha did it. It was frightening. He had always been so clever, and now he had made everyone else hear these damn drums."

"He captured me, Martha's family and Jack. I told you about that. He forced me to age. I was an extremely old man. Frail. Weak. Worse than I had even been when I had regenerated from old age. But, I was unable to regenerate. It was terrible being trapped in that body. Jack, was killed over and over. I'm sure of that. But, Martha came back and saved us."

Rose rubbed his thin beard, "After a year of that…."

"He was shot. I didn't shoot him. Martha's mum was going to, but I took the gun from her. It was his wife who shot him. Out of all people. I never saw that coming. Turns out, she was frightened of him. He refused to regenerate. It was just a simple bullet. I still don't understand why."

"You said you were going to put him in the TARDIS. Keep him with you so you could keep an eye on him. Baby, he was going to be a prisoner. He saw that."

"He was dangerous. He needed someone to keep an eye on him."

"I'm not saying he didn't. I'm saying that's probably why he refused to regenerate."

He sighed as he rubbed his face again. "Does that answer what you wanted to know?"

"No. You forgave him. Why?"

"I had to. He was mad, Rose. I don't even believe he really knew what he was doing."

Rose looked confused at him. "The word, 'alright'. That means something else to you than it does to me."

He nodded his head. "Yeah."

"Does forgiving someone mean something else to you?"

He looked seriously at her. "Huh. It might. What does it mean to you?"

Rose rubbed his chest. "It means you have accepted an apology. Even one you would have never got."

He looked confused, "Really? Then, yes. That's different. Rose, English needs more damn words." He rubbed his face and lay back in thought. "Let me think how to explain this."

Rose pulled the sheet over herself and lay on his chest. She continued to rub his chest with her fingertips. He took her hand and kissed it. "I've got it. It means you have pardoned someone for something. It's a mutual understanding that it's over, and neither one of you will speak of it again in the tone of fault. Right. Does that make sense? I miss the TARDIS speaking English for me. Granted, it probably said, 'Forgive' too. It's a deeper thing than 'forgive'."

Rose sat up so she could look in his eyes. "So, to get this straight. If there was something I know you had no fault in, and I hated to bring it up because I know it know it hurt you to even think about it, and I was sick of you apologizing for it…."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Where are you going with this?"

Rose tapped her finger on her lip as she thought. "I've got it."

He rose up and held her hand. She nodded her head and he could sense she felt relief. "Okay, I want to say something very important to you. Remember this, alright?"

He looked confused at her. "Sure, Rose."

"You left me here. You knew where I was and never tried to come get me. You decided it was impossible, and since you knew I was here with my family I had to be fine. You felt that I was getting on with my life, so you did the same."

He sighed and Rose felt her words cut through him like daggers. "Rose-"

She put her finger over his lips. "Ah. I'm not finished. There was no way you could have known what had happened to me here. No way you could have guessed. I came to tell you, and you didn't listen. Then, he left us both here. He didn't tell me he was going to do that, he didn't tell you. He didn't give us a choice, he didn't even say good-bye. That part was him."

Rose could feel his shock at her words. Tears formed in his eyes. "Rose….I really…."

Rose smiled at him. "Baby. I forgive you. The 'forgive' that you use. You are pardoned from the terrible thing you believe you are responsible for. It's over, and neither of us will speak of it again in the tone of fault. I hate that you feel that way. There are things I probably should tell you, but I can't. You would just beat yourself up worse. Can you please believe me when I say that I honestly, truly, do not blame you? I never will. I forgive you."

He smiled in surprise as tears rolled out of his eyes. Rose wiped his tears. She could feel his relief and happiness. "Rose. You are amazing. How am I so lucky? The universe hates me-"

Rose smiled, "I don't. I love you more than I can ever express. And do you know what?"

"What's that?"

"I owe you a kiss. You've been talking about yourself."

He chuckled and bit his lip. "Yeah, you do."

She pulled his face to hers and snogged him proper as they fell back into the pillows. She felt his hand rub her back and then her bum. She smiled at him, "You still taste like ice cream."

He smiled at her, "You taste like champagne. Do you want some more?"

"Yes, please."

He kissed her quickly and sat up to pour her another glass. He ate a strawberry as he handed her the glass. "You're not drinking anymore? You didn't tell me why."

He pointed at her and laughed, "I get another kiss now. I've got to take the car back to Malibu when we are finished here."

Rose shook her head. "That's right."

He lay back on the bed and watched her drink. "You can have the entire bottle yourself. I'll taste it when we kiss. That's fine with me."

Rose smiled as she handed him the glass. He sat it back on the table next to the bed. "I have a question, Rose. Where are three places you like to be kissed?"

Rose giggled and pointed to the side of her neck, "Right here, under my ear."

He leaned in and she felt his warm breath as he kissed her neck.

She rubbed her chest, "Down here, on my breasts and chest."

He smiled at her as he leaned down and kissed the sides of her breasts. He rose up and looked at her as he rubbed her nipple. "Tell me, where else?"

She smiled and pointed at her lips. "You are so good at kissing. You make me feel like I'm the most important person in the universe. You're complete attention is here, on me. I could kiss you all night."

He lay down on top of her and rubbed her nose with his. He whispered. "You are the most important person in the universe."

He slowly licked her lips and she opened her mouth to kiss him. He could taste the champagne in her mouth. He spoke in her head, _'Rose. Thank you for forgiving me.'_

 _'I wish I had known to tell you that months ago. I can feel how relieved you are.'_

He rose up and smiled at her. "Oh, I am."

She suddenly rolled him over in the bed and sat on top of him. Her sudden movement made him shout, "Look out! Mad, ninja woman!"

Rose smiled at him under her. "Alright. You need to take off the rest of your clothes."

He smiled in his excitement, "Oh… the perfect sentence!"

Rose stood on her knees and kissed him as he unfastened his jeans and slid them down with his pants. She stopped kissing him and smiled, "I have a question and I'll pay the fee."

He smiled like a loon. "I love this. We should always do this."

She giggled. "You don't say Allonsy anymore. What's the deal with that?"

He looked surprised. "I don't?"

Rose tossed her hands up. "No! And damn, I can speak French now and would understand that! What the hell?"

He tickled her sides as they playfully wrestled in the bed. He ended up lying on top of her and began to snog her again. He rose up and smiled at her. "You are such an excellent kisser. I'm sorry, what were we talking about?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "Maybe you need to start drinking again. Allonsy. Why-"

"Why don't I say it? Well, it's honestly not any fun now that you know what it means." He teased.

Rose playfully hit him in the chest. He laughed at her as he caught her hand. He smiled down at her and said in French. "Je t'aime tellement."

Rose smiled and said quietly, "Moi aussi je t'aime."

He leaned down and began to kiss her again with renewed enthusiasm. Suddenly, Friday's voice came through the speaker on the wristband. "I'm sorry, Doctor. There is an urgent reminder for you."

He growled as he rose up. "Bloody hell, I'm so damn annoying with this shit."

Rose looked confused at him as he rose up and looked at a display that shown down his arm. He sat up and Rose felt his mood change. He ran his hand through his hair and said, "Interesting."

She looked at him, "Care to share with the class?"

He looked back at her. "Sweetheart. I'm very sorry, but I need to take you home."

"What?!" Rose demanded. "Hang on. Who is sending you these reminders?"

He stood up next to the bed and put his pants back on. "I am."

Rose watched him put back on his jeans. "You are? How the hell are you doing-?"

He climbed back in the bed and kissed her. She opened her eyes moments later to realize that he had popped them back into their bedroom in the island home. He rolled over in the bed and turned on the lamp.

"Rose, I can explain everything. But, let me get dressed and deal with something first."

She looked around. "You popped us home? What if mum had been in here?"

He shook his head, "I have a proximity detector. No one was here." He rushed into the closet, Rose saw his oxford laying on the back of the chair. She slipped it on and followed him. He was sitting on the bench and putting on his trainers.

"Alright. Can you explain this now? How are you sending reminders to yourself?"

He reached up and put on a t-shirt quickly, "It's me from the future. I did this in the other dimension, too, but not this much."

"You from the future? Are you traveling in time?"

He stood in front of her. "Rose. I'm not traveling in time. I can't talk about this right now. I really have to go. I'm so sorry. We'll continue this when I get back."

Tears formed in Rose's eyes. "It's them. Isn't it?"

He sighed as he took her hands in his. "Sweetheart, please stay here." His bracelet buzzed again. He read it and nodded his head. He turned his arm to show it to Rose. The reminder said, "Rose. This is you. Stay here for this one."

Rose was shocked to see her message to herself. The Doctor sighed as he looked at her. "The guys are all waiting on me. We need to go take care of this. Promise me you will stay here. I'll know you are safe."

Rose could feel his concern for her. She nodded her head. "No shielding me. If you need me to come, tell me."

He smiled. "I will. Jack and Jake are downstairs. Get dressed and go join them. I won't be long."

He leaned in and kissed her, then popped away.

Rose couldn't help but to cover her mouth as tears rolled out of her eyes.

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	61. Chapter 61 – Almost a Problem

XxxxxxXxxxxxXxxxxxxx

Chapter 61 – Almost a Problem

The Doctor popped downstairs into his sitting room. Summus, Lewis, Legate, Lance and Legate were already there. Jack and Jake stood ready with them.

Jack nodded his head. "So, who's staying here?"

Lewis pointed at the Doctor. "He is. He's on-"

The Doctor shook his head. "Fuck that. You know I'm going."

Lewis shook his head. "No. You and Poltious are on suspension until-"

The Doctor rolled his eyes. "And now you see me…." And he popped away.

Jack turned and laughed at Lewis. "Does that really surprise you?"

Lewis groaned, "I knew he was going to be this big a pain in the ass. Stay here with Rose, Lance." Lewis popped away.

XxxxXxxxx

Lewis popped into the hotel room where the Doctor and Rose had just left. Legate and Summus popped in the room right after Lewis arrived. The Doctor held up his hand as he stood with his head down, looking at the floor.

 _'What do you hear?'_ Lewis asked him.

 _'The lift. There is a struggle in it.'_ he told the men in their heads.

Legate asked, _'How many?'_

The Doctor bit his lip and continued to look at the floor. _'Feels like…..four.'_

Legate nodded his head. _'One for each of us. Seems hardly fair.'_

Summus smiled proudly. _'They will come in the room ready to take hostages.'_

The Doctor pointed to the door. _'Legate and Lewis, to the sides. Summus, to the shadows. They are coming for me. Let me lure them in. Wait for my signal.'_

Summus agreed and disappeared. The Doctor smiled and shook his head. "I love that!"

Just then, the door was kicked open. The Doctor stood with his hands in his pockets. Four men, dressed in complete black, walked in. The Doctor smiled, "Well, hello!"

One of the men, apparently the leader, ordered the other men, "Take him. Find the girl."

The Doctor rubbed his head as they pointed their guns at him. "The girl? Anyone in particular?"

One of the men tried to hit the Doctor on the back of the head with the butt of his gun. The force field activated and the gun bounced back and hit the man in the face, knocking him out. The Doctor smiled and raised his eyebrows. "Aren't you lot about tired of this, yet? You're never going to get Rose. I won't allow it. She is under my protection."

The leader pointed his gun at the Doctor. "Maybe we should just eliminate you first-"

He held his finger up to make a point. "Well, that would be an excellent place to start. Only-"

As he said that, Summus, Legate and Lewis attacked the three men. Unaware they were there, they were subdued very quickly.

The Doctor finished, "I'm under my mates' protection."

Lewis nodded his head as he held one of the men. "I've summoned Jake."

Jake popped into the room. "Holy shit. Really? Is it Christmas already?"

The Doctor laughed, "Just for you, Jake. I'm sick of this shit."

Jake nodded his head. "Alright. First, off with the masks. Let's see who we are dealing with here."

The men pulled off the other men's masks. Lewis asked, "Recognize any of them?"

Jake looked at each of the men, "Nah. These aren't agents."

The leader growled, "You won't get any information from us."

Lewis rolled his eyes, "Ah, shut it."

The Doctor rubbed his chin. "You came here for Rose? Or was it me?"

The man stared at the Doctor.

The Doctor rocked on his feet, "Still think my wife is an alien? Is that it?"

The man bit his lip and refused to speak to the Doctor. The Doctor nodded his head as Lewis gave him a suggestion. The Doctor stepped forward, put his finger on each one of the men's foreheads, and put them into a deep sleep. They fell into the floor, unconscious.

Lewis smiled. "Well, that couldn't have gone any better."

The Doctor smiled, "No tuxs were involved. I believe that had something to do with it."

Legate asked, "What do you want to do with them?"

Jake suggested, "Torchwood?"

"No!" The Doctor insisted. "Something always happens to these damn people when they get to Torchwood. Let's take them to my ship. Keep them unconscious until we can figure out what to do with them. We need answers, gentlemen. I intend to get them."

Summus nodded his head. "Wise."

XxxxxXxxxxx


	62. Chapter 62 - Back Home

XxxxxXxxxxx

Chapter 62 – Back Home

Lewis and The Doctor popped back into the sitting room of the island home. Rose was lying in a cozy, leather chair holding Genie. Pete sat on the sofa next to them in his night robe sipping his tea. Zeus jumped to his feet and ran to the Doctor as soon as he reappeared. As soon as Pete saw them, he stood up and put his finger over his lips. He pointed at Rose and Genie. He motioned for them to follow him into the kitchen, then he spoke.

"So?" Pete asked.

"Got them." Lewis smiled, "Doc' had them taken to his ship instead of Torchwood. Summus has them now."

Pete pointed at them. "That's a good idea. Anyone hurt?"

The Doctor scratched Zeus' face. "One of the other guys, but it's not bad."

Pete rolled his eyes, "I don't mean them. Anyway, how did you know about this? Who tipped you off? Damn lucky if you ask me."

The Doctor bit his lip and looked back at Lewis. "I did."

Pete looked confused, "You did, son? I don't understand."

"Time travel. I left a reminder for myself. Pete, I told you I was going to fix this. I'm already going back to fix shit going wrong now."

Pete crossed his arms and leaned into the cabinet. "But, you're not traveling in time. Well, are you?"

Lewis and the Doctor shook their heads.

The Doctor answered, "No. My ship's not ready for that."

Pete waved his hand. "Oh, hell. I'm not going to try to understand this tonight. I'm exhausted. You are alright. Our guys are fine, and my daughter is safe. Genie was upset. She came down and you weren't here. Rose rocked her until they both went to sleep."

The Doctor looked back and asked. "Where did that chair come from?"

Lewis chuckled, "Logan. He bought himself one and thought you and Rose would fancy the same sort. He said you can rock children to sleep in it, and then go to sleep without moving."

Pete smiled, "That was thoughtful."

The Doctor agreed as he looked back at his girls.

Lewis patted the Doctor's chest. "Until tomorrow. I'm going back to Arla."

Pete nodded his head and smiled. "I've got to go get a cowboy tomorrow morning. I'm bringing him here. You know, I find it strange Jacob hasn't asked about his father. Has he spoken to you?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "He has. I explained to him that Howie was dealing with something and would see him in a few days. He's alright. They've spoken a few times. Caroline has been here with him, too."

Pete nodded his head as he walked out of the room. "Alright. Well, night."

The Doctor walked over to the chair where Genie and Rose lay reclined. He leaned down and kissed Rose's forehead. Rose smiled, "You're back."

He knelt down and smiled at her. "I'm back. Everyone is safe."

She smiled, "I knew you were. I could feel how happy you were. And the diamond thing on the mantle stayed blue the entire time."

He looked back the diamond that the Meridaians had given to them months ago. The sitting room was dim, and the diamond's color illuminated the room. It was glowing solid blue. The Doctor smiled at it. "I love it when it's blue."

Rose giggled, "You love it when it's red. I know you. You crave the adventure."

He shook his head. "Not as much as I used to. I have too many things that are precious to me now." He leaned in and kissed her lips quickly. "Were you sleeping?"

Rose closed her eyes. "I was just resting my eyes."

He chuckled, "Rose Smith. The Olympic sleeper."

Rose laughed quietly.

He smiled and lay down next to her in the huge chair. He wrapped his arms around both of them. He leaned over and told Zeus, "Met us upstairs, Zeus."

Using his wristband, he popped them upstairs in the bed all together. Rose giggled. "Thank you."

He kissed her cheek as he rolled out of the bed. "Now you don't have to walk up the stairs. Go on back to sleep."

"Daddy." Genie said in her sleep. He walked to the other side of the bed. He lay down next to Genie, facing Rose.

"Daddy is here, my child. You can go to sleep."

Genie lay her head down on his chest and went back to sleep. Zeus ran through the doorway and jumped onto the bed with them. He lay his head down on the Doctor's leg and closed his eyes.

Rose looked at them and smiled. "And, you have a dog?"

The Doctor ran his hand through Genie's long hair and kissed her forehead. "My brother and I are sharing him. Zeus is a good boy."

Zeus wagged his tail.

 _'I feel like we're going to have Genie in the bed with us for months again.'_ Rose told the Doctor in his head.

He smiled as he kissed Genie's forehead again. _'Ah. Enjoy it Rose. We'll miss this one day. Children are only small for a short period of time. Why does she smell so good?'_

Rose laughed quietly, _'Her Grand gave her a bath and washed her hair.'_

He smelled her hair, _'What is that?'_

Rose teased him, _'Pear.'_

He rolled his eyes, "Oh, it is not!"

Genie groaned and the Doctor quickly rubbed her back and covered her with the duvet. "Shhhh…..sorry, sweetheart."

Rose covered her mouth and laughed quietly. _'Can you please not wake our daughter?'_

 _'That remains to be seen.'_ He said as he relaxed and ran his hand through his hair. Rose giggled at him.

He turned his head to look at her. _'Are you awake? Like, proper awake, Rose?'_

She smiled, _'Yes. What is it?'_

 _'I have to go back to Plentitude tomorrow. I want you, and the children, to go with me. It will be a quick trip. Hopefully.'_

Rose laid her hand on his cheek and smiled. _'Is everything alright?'_

 _'Everything is fine. One of the machines there has malfunctioned. No one was injured, it just needs some attention.'_

Rose caressed his cheek as he looked at her. _'I have an idea. When we go, I want you to go shopping for me. But, just for one thing.'_

He smiled, _'What's that?'_

 _'Lingerie. Whatever you would like to see me in.'_

He closed his eyes tightly and exhaled. He whispered, "Damn."

Rose smiled, _'What is it?'_

He turned back to look at her. _'We've got to get this child out of our bed!'_

She held her hand out, _'That's what I'm saying!'_

He chuckled at her as he relaxed in the pillows and rubbed his head.

Rose spoke to him, _'Baby. You are wide awake. Go do something.'_

 _'Nah. She needs me. I'll stay here with her so she will sleep.'_ He said as he kicked off his trainers.

Rose smiled.

He turned to look at her. _'You feel wide awake now. Have I talked to you too much?'_

She shook her head. _'It's an illusion. I could go to sleep in a minute. Did you get them?'_

He smiled. _'Yes. No one was hurt. Summus is ….. ummm…..taking care of them for me at the moment.'_

Rose looked confused, _'Dare I ask?'_

 _'Oh, it's nothing like that. I put them to sleep. They are…..taking them someplace where I can question them later.'_

 _'Good luck with that.'_ Rose insisted.

 _'Can I ask you something? Answer me truthfully. Don't spare my feelings.'_

She rose her eyebrows. _'Oh, I don't like the sound of this.'_

 _'Pete told me that Mickey had asked him to help talk you into marrying him. Pete refused because he said he didn't feel like Mickey wanted to marry you for the right reasons. He wanted you to stop working at Torchwood. Stop doing research, making jumps, all of that. He wanted you to settle down. Pete didn't agree because he felt you shouldn't give up your dreams.'_

Rose sat up and looked at him seriously, _'Alright. What is your question?'_

 _'Isn't that what you did when we got married? Did I make you give up your dreams? Are you happy?'_

 _'Are you?'_ Rose asked.

He pointed at her. _'No. We're talking about you. Don't worry about my feelings, I just need to know-"_

Rose threw her hands in the air. _'You are so damn…'_

 _'Charming?'_ he helped.

 _'Insecure.'_ Rose decided.

He bit his lip and thought. _'Yeah, I'll own that.'_

Rose looked at him. _'Why in the world did Dad tell you that?'_

 _'And when did Pete become, "Dad?" He was Pete when I first got here.'_

Rose dropped her head. _'I need tea if we're going to have this sort of conversation.'_

 _'Rose, these are just simple questions. No tea required.'_

She smiled at him, _'I am very happy. These past few months have been the best in my life. I don't feel like I gave up on my dreams at all. You are helping me realize more that I never thought of. We're working on those books. And I've not even told you that Cambridge wants to film me teaching a course on Physics to sell. Can you believe that?'_

His eyes opened wide, _'What? You haven't told me this!'_

She smiled, _'I only was asked this afternoon. I'm still deciding if I want to do it. I called the Headmaster….ummm….no….Dean there to talk about Ashena. He offered it. He wants me to come with her to discuss it when she takes a tour of the school. I want you to come with me.'_

He smiled proudly at her. _'Doctor Rose Tyler-Smith. Educator to the Posh Scholars.'_

Rose rolled her eyes and smiled. She whispered. "You are so stupid."

He chuckled. _'Living the dream, then? Is that right?'_

She smiled, _'Of course I am. I have you. I have Genie and Sam. What else would I want?'_

He pointed at her. _'I know you. I'm bleeding into you enough to know that you want a big project on the horizon. I have one for you.'_

Rose grinned. _'What do you have in mind? Cloning yourself?'_

He rolled his eyes, _'One Doctor per Dimension. That's the rule.'_

Rose looked impressed, _'And you didn't growl and swear that time. Progress.'_

He smiled, _'I have gotten messages from my future self all day. I used to do this in the other Dimension. You saw it, you got one from yourself.'_

Rose nodded, _'Right.'_

 _'That means the TARDIS we're growing will mature. Either that, or we will find another way to time travel. I hope it's the TARDIS. Now, you understand how to jump between Dimensions.'_

Rose looked curiously at him.

 _'I want you to work out how to do that so our TARDIS can travel between the Dimensions, too. Time, space and dimensions.'_

Rose thought for a few moments. _'Why would you want to do that?'_

 _'I have my reasons. Mainly, get back to the Prime Dimension to punch the other guy in the damn nose.'_

Rose rolled her eyes. _'Sweetheart. I really don't think that's a great idea.'_

 _'Really? Why?'_

Rose closed her eyes tightly, _'There's just a lot of stuff out there. Dimensions that are …. Places you shouldn't visit.'_

He bit his lip. _'Huh. Alright. I'll take your word for it then. I really would like the opportunity to punch him in the nose. Just one good time, Rose.'_

Rose giggled, _'I really don't think it's worth that.'_ She lay back in the pillows and turned off the lamp. He reached over and took her hand.

 _'Have I upset you?'_ he asked.

 _'No.'_ Rose told him. _'I'm fine.'_

 _'You are shielding me. I can tell.'_

Rose rolled her eyes and whispered, "Go to sleep. We'll talk more about this later."

"I'm not sleepy." He teased her quietly.

Rose groaned, "You are such a pain. You are winding me up. You are getting close to a punch."

He laughed and held out his hand. _'Alright. I'm sorry. Go on to sleep.'_

Rose lay there for a few moments. _'Go back to the Prime Dimension. Just to punch someone in the nose. Really?'_

He smiled and whispered, " 'Go back?' He thought. 'No good at all! Go sideways? Impossible! Go forward? Only thing to do! On we go!' So up he got, and trotted along with his little sword held in front of him and one hand feeling the wall, and his heart all of a patter and a pitter.' "

Rose looked back at him and smiled, "What is that from?"

He smiled, "The Hobbit. I love that story. Go on to sleep. Everything is alright."

XxxxxXxxxxxxxXxxxxxxx

 _Alright! Folks! That's not the end, just the end of this particular book (document). The Word file I work from is way too long and it's killing my computer. This story continues in the book that I just published the first chapter to, Mind and Heart. Terrible title, but you'll find out why it's called that later. Anyway. Lots of adventures continue._

 _Thank you for your kind reviews. I hope you continue to enjoy the "soap opera" story of the Doctor and Rose's new life, as much as I'm enjoying writing it._

 _Allonsy!_


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